The Legend of Zelda Winged Ones
by LilleahWest aka TheBeastcub
Summary: Continues Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, ties into Twilight Princess. I have played these games 5 times each, I worked hard to make this feel like part of the plot and to create closure/sense of history for things left unexplained. 30 short chapters. Tons of artwork for this story as well as more current updates can be found by looking up LilleahWest Deviantart
1. Chapter 1 A New Life

**Fanfiction group**- I have a group for this fanfic set up at

_**http: / / wingedones-zeldaff .deviantart. com/**_

(delete the spaces, if I do not add them the Link does not fully show up when I save) There you can find everything, chapters with cover art, story art, bonus chapters and even fan made art for the story. **Please read this story over at DeviantART if you can**, unlike here I was able to make each chapter look fancy and it overall is more pleasant to read there.

There is a poster I made for this fanfic over at http : / / lilleahwest . deviant art .com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Poster-194827951 It will give you a good feel for this story, also each chapter has cover art over there.

Art for this chapter

http: / / lilleah west . deviant art . com /art/Asleep-in-the-Barn-story-193361654

http: / / lilleah west. deviantart. com/ art/ Battle-Weary-Hero-206568054

**Things to know**-This story directly follows Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. In part two (chapters 16-30) the fanfic goes into how OoT/MM would tie into Twilight Princess. Knowledge of these stories is recommended with OoT being the most important to know.-Rated PG-13 for violence, intense moments, and minor swearing (*contains no guts-n-gore, and no torture. Also has no yaoi or sexual content.) The light hearted/humor vs dark/angst balance and level of violence/intensity is comparable to the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. Intense chapter have a warning at the start.-This starts off as a "slice of life" story for the first two chapters, but trust me plenty of action and intense moments lie ahead. -I worked very hard to make all this fit into the games and to create a sense of history for aspects that were left unexplained. I have played these three games in excess of five times each so I put a lot of thought and heart into this.

**The Legend of Zelda**

**The Winged Ones**

**Chapter 1: A New Life**

Many a year has passed since the Master Sword was laid to rest and the gates to the Sacred Realm were sealed. A lifetime was lived, and then forgotten, as the evil of the Dark King was locked away by those chosen by destiny and a brighter future was restored to the land.

With these tasks complete Link was able to live those years he lost sealed in the sacred realm and fighting as The Hero of Time. The future he experienced long ago is a future only known to and remembered by those who were involved in the fate of Hyrule. Link, Zelda and the Sages, only they can recall The Future That Almost Was.

With peace restored to the world, and a new future upon the land, Link was given the chance to live out his childhood in peace, but his life had been forever changed. Link tried to enjoy the childhood that had been returned to him, but he had been an adult, a warrior, he had seen much hardship and he carried this hardship with him; Link had long since lost the innocence of a child.

At first Link returned to his old home and lived with the Kokiri for a while. However this did not last long. Link never felt like he belonged there, and Mido never gave Link a chance to feel as if he belonged…and now, with Saria hardly around due to her new Sage duties, Mido was more relentless than ever. The self-proclaimed Kokiri leader's taunting hurt Link deeper than before; Link wasn't just the boy born without a fairy, he was the boy who found one and lost it. Mido's words tormented Link for he dearly missed his constant companion. Despite the fact she was at times annoying the little fairy was his closest friend and she was the only one who had shared the hardships he faced. Furthermore, the other Kokiri, as usual, seemed to hardly know Link even existed. Their cold shoulders stung almost as much as Mido's taunting. Link felt too out of place in the Kokiri forest, having seen so much of the outside world and its hardships Link felt as if his presence destroyed the innocence of the land which held the eternal children of the forest...But the young hero had another reason to leave… he wanted to find his dear friend who had vanished without a word or a trace when peace was restored to the land.

Link did go in search for her; and in the process ended up in a very unfamiliar place. He had stumbled upon a passage to this other world by accident while searching the Lost Woods. In this new land Link became an unsung and forgotten hero once again. He was not gone from Hyrule for long, not much longer than three days, but to our hero this journey felt more like lifetime as he faced each day with sickening deja vu. His days repeating, reliving the dangers of the world, reliving the sorrow of others and sharing their anguish over the world's end, an end which Link fought to prevent.

In this land Link experienced the end of the world time and time again. Healing lost and broken souls and taking on their forms so he could restore peace to the loved ones they left behind. And in the end he had returned empty handed, aside from the masks he had obtained during this quest in another land. He returned with an even greater emptiness in his heart as he left new friends behind and carried with him the memories of this land filled with death…a land that would surely soon forget him. In the end, the masks remained as the only proof he was ever in the land of Termina.

When Link returned to Hyrule he built a lean-to outside Lon Lon Ranch. He had hoped to stay with Malon, to live in the barn and take on the role of a stable hand, but the weary hero found that she had made a new friend in his absence, a boy, the young lad who in the future that almost was became the potion shop keeper Kakariko village. The sense of belonging Link once felt at the ranch, the place where he used to seek shelter and sleep alongside Epona in the future that almost was, the feeling of sanctuary he used to have in the barn had vanished. He could see the ranch girl's new friendship was already stronger than what meager relationship Link ever had with Malon; a relationship that was lost in a future that only the likes of Link were forced to remember. Not knowing where to go he just set up camp at the back of the ranch out of sight, and he continued to live there with Epona until Zelda found out, informed by the jogging man who ran around all of Hyrule seeking rabbits.

Zelda disapproved of the fact that Link was living alone, and so she came out in person to invite him to live in the castle. She became even more upset when she saw how poorly his lifestyle had become. The shanty that the boy was calling home was not fit for an animal let alone for her hero and his unkempt and woe some appearance troubled her deeply. His expression was listless, eyes tired. The boy's clothes were torn and dirty, his body covered in scars with a fresh wound on his arm...She had not seen him for almost a year and this is not the sight she had expected to see.

Zelda was persistent and Link eventually agreed to go with her; though hesitantly. As she reached down to take the boy's hand that day, he accepted her grasp with a cold look in his eyes. The young hero planned to stay only until he got what he needed to build a cabin in the group of trees between the entrance to the Kokiri forest and Lake Hylia. Link wanted to build his own little sanctuary where he could be alone, with a lock on the door to keep everyone from meddling in his life, like Zelda was doing just now.

But Link's re-homing plan never came to be and instead he lived in the castle for quite some time as days turned into weeks, awkwardly adapting to palace life and to his growing friendship with the Princess Zelda.

The young Princess surprised Link with how outgoing she was. She was quite the troublemaker and tomboy; she enjoyed things like frogs and mud just as much as he did. Zelda often left her dress behind and donned clothing she had made in Impa's image much to the King's discontent; though Impa just ignored his grumbling and let her do as she pleased. The Sheikah knew that it was her act of allowing Zelda to be herself that helped the Princess to develop the strong will and determination that helped her survive the destiny she faced in the future that almost was.

Zelda would also often insist Link accompany her in her many secret escapes from the castle to explore the world outside. The young hero went along with her halfheartedly at first; not understanding why she even cared to go on adventures having seen all there is to see in the now forgotten future they once shared.

Link was somewhat envious of the Princess, she remembered the future that almost was but she did not let that get to her. Zelda's behavior showed that she was in a sense stronger than Link for she had managed to let go of the harsh past she had gained in the future that almost was and had allowed herself to enjoy being a kid again.

But after a while the young hero grew fond of the time he spent with Zelda and even began to instigate their games and adventures. Link's smile returned, he began to enjoy the small and simple things he used to do before fate threw so much responsibility on his shoulders. The boy taunted cuccos and chased bugs again with the pure and simple joy he once had.

Zelda's outgoing nature, her seemingly restored innocence, and her child like kindness had actually helped Link heal. Our once weary hero found an inner sense of peace growing within him in the company of the Princess and he was grateful that she had reached out to him.

Had she not come to him that day and insisted Link come to stay in the castle… the young hero may have further introverted into his own feelings of hurt and loneliness, and his kind and gentle soul may have been overshadowed and lost.

The King at first was apprehensive about having what appeared to be a feral child in his castle, but soon Zelda's father took quite a liking to Link, especially when Impa clarified just who the boy was. The King may not have experienced Link's heroics in The Future That Almost Was, but he had trusted the Sage's stories of the boy and how he restored a brighter future for the land of Hyrule.

In the absence of a proper prince the King figured Link was perfect. And so, a little over a year after Zelda brought Link home with her, the boy's destiny changed yet again. Zelda was acting far too gleeful, and the King seemed to smile at the boy more than normal, poor Link was overall just confused by their behavior; that is until the King announced to all of Hyrule that he had chosen a fiancée for the Princess.

Being only thirteen at the time the news of being betrothed to the Princess was an awkward shock, and he was tempted to run away. Link was not sure he wanted this, after all the responsibility he had as a hero he was not sure he could handle being a king. Yes Zelda and Link had grown to be close friend and deep down he wanted their friendship to last forever and always, but taking on the role of King, just the thought alone was almost more than the boy could handle.

In the end the young hero decided that what Zelda had done for him was worth too much for him to just vanish never to be seen again. And so Link chose to accept the future that had been handed to him and decided not to let the news change his relationship with the princess.

Things stayed the same as they were before the engagement, they remained as childhood friends and Zelda's strong will and wisdom further nurtured Link's battle weary soul back to its former self as Link's sense of peace and happiness grew as strong as his intense sense of courage.

And gradually, over time, their relationship evolved past that of just playmates. The bond that had grown between them that day when Zelda reached out to the lonesome boy only blossomed with age and Link found himself unable to even think about not being at the Princess's side.

At the age of eighteen Link took on the status of a Prince with Zelda as his bride. The entire kingdom celebrated that day. Link and Zelda stood newlywed atop the steps to the Temple of Time, a place that once marked a very different turn of events for them in a future that almost was.

Link's face was lit with a huge but awkward smile as he blushed, this experience was new to him and the future that awaited him was the complete opposite of the life he had before. In the future that almost was Link was an obscure and unsung hero facing danger on a daily basis. In in this forgotten timeline Link was forced to live a rugged life where he was lucky to have, and often went without the bare necessities…In Link's past life he faced a dark and challenging future.

Now Link stood dressed in a fancy white tunic adorned in gold, hand in hand alongside Zelda in her splendid gown. Their faces shone with the happiness of the bright future they had restored to the land, a new future they now shared.

The attention of the entire kingdom was on Link and his bride. In this timeline the world that stood before Link was aglow with peace and harmony. In his new life everything Link could ever need in would be at his fingertips, and this time the future that lay before him was bright.

All of Hyrule rejoiced as the new Prince and the Princess made their way down the Temple steps and the sages beamed with joy. For who was better for the Princess than The Boy of legend?

A little over a year later Link took on the role of King with much support from the royal family.

The king had prepared many mentors and had set many stepping stones in place for Link to follow upon his passing so that the lad could be eased into his role as King slowly. The King knew he had made a grand choice in appointing Link as his heir, he was confident that Link would grow into a just and gentle King.

And so the old King's legacy ended with a smile as his last thoughts drifted to what grand future Hyrule would have in the hands of such courageous and gentle soul.

About a year later Link had fully settled into his role as King of Hyrule. But now the former Hero and present King started yet another lifelong commitment. A task which proved to be the one thing that surpassed and outshined Link's skill and enjoyment as a hero; Fatherhood.

And so Link's next adventure begins.


	2. Chapter 2 Son of the Hero

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleah west . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-WO-A-new-Hero-196167425

**The Legend of Zelda**

**The Winged Ones**

**Chapter 2: Son of the Hero**

Chirin,(sure-rin) a lively little loveable scamp with more curiosity and energy than Link ever knew at his age, but then again his upbringing was vastly different than Link who grew up alone as the "boy without a fairy". Zelda always smiled at the sight of her King and Prince together for their child looked exactly like a little version of Link, aside from Chirin's hair, with his bangs flat on one side. Link may be the King, but Hyrule comes second when it comes to his family. Chirin was the greatest gift life ever gave him, and through the hardships Link faced in the now forgotten future he had learned to never squander a gift.

Chirin was eager for adventure and Link felt that it was time for his son to see the world that he had once saved in what seems like a lifetime ago. Chirin is quite a bit younger than Link was when he left the security of the Kokiri forest and started out on his own. This worried Zelda and she wanted to keep the boy close to home for a few more years. But the King could see that their son is quite mature and responsible for his age, and Link also pointed out that this is a time of peace, leaving the castle does not mean Chirin will be facing the trials Link had known as a boy.

They saddled up, Link on his trusted Epona, and Chirin on Epona's strong and beautiful pinto daughter Fillea. They left through the gates of Hyrule Market as the town's people greeted them along the way.

Link was in a toned down version of his king's clothing, or rather a fancy and somewhat uncomfortable version of his classic green tunic. His long hat was encircled by a subtle gold crown, every edge of his tunic embroidered with gold and the white undershirt was frilly and itchy. Chirin was dressed in white with a fancy blue waistcoat and a ruffled collar and many gold buttons…too many, Chirin hated buttoning up this shirt.

Epona humbly cantered along, her age not showing at all in her steps as she carried the only person she has ever trusted, the former hero with his pure and kind soul.

They first stopped to eat lunch on the wall outside of Lon Lon Ranch, Chirin stuffed his face full of fried cucco and milk biting off much more than he could chew each time. Link took a leather sack out of his saddle bag. Chirin looked at it, milk dripping down his chin. Link began to open the bag as he spoke, "Your mother thinks you are way too young… but I think you can be trusted."

Chirin's eyes grew wide for he knew, the instant he saw it, Chirin know what it was. "Whoa a Kokiri tunic and a Deku shield!" his eyes grew more seeing the relics of the story his father had told him many a time "And, a Ko-kokiri sword, your giving me a sword! A real sword!"

Link smiled "Would I be handing it to you if I wasn't?" Chirin grinned.

As the boy sat in the grass looking over his new gift, Link reached down and put his hand on Chirin's shoulder "Son you are lucky to know your parents." Chirin looked up at him as Link continued "I never knew mine… Chirin, That story I told you about the Kokiri with no fairy? Well, I grew up as a Kokiri, a child of the forest though I had no fairy…"

Chirin looked up at his father with inquisitive eyes "Wait…you mean…those stories…are about you?" Link looked down at his son with soulful eyes.

"I know nothing of my father, all I know is that my mother died but not before entrusting my safety to the Deku tree. I spent my true childhood in the forest, that is until a little blue fairy, Navi, came to me… on that day my entire life changed."

Chirin looked on with amazement "The fairy, where is it, where is Navi now?" his words hurt, Link still knew nothing of Navi's whereabouts and he missed her more than anything.

"I-I do not know…" there was a pause, Fillea whinnied loudly with boredom breaking the uncomfortable silence "Chirin, lets get going. I want to show you the place of my childhood."

Chirin froze "The Kokiri Forest! Isn't that the one every one says is forbidden! You go in but never come out!"

Link sighed "Chirin I grew up in those woods, nothing will happen to you, in fact I think you'll like it. Those rumors only exist so people will leave the Kokiri alone."

They left the horses outside the hollowed tree tunnel which marked the entry way to the Kokiri Forest. As they crossed the bridge that lay suspended over the Lost Woods, a Deku scrub popped up on the hill at the side of the bridge, startling Chirin. Link smiled with nostalgia "I spent a lot of time in the Lost Woods and got used to the Dekus, and I became quite skilled at dodging their attacks. Don't worry he's too far away to hurt you."

When they reached the village Link showed him his old tree house, Mido was watching from a distance, disgruntled and envious of the fact the boy he used to tease was now a King. Link glanced at the drawing on the base of the tree, the little carving of him with a fairy fighting a dragon was still etched in the bark, he remembered the boring day he carved it there, a boring day wishing for a fight and a fairy.

Chirin went up into the tree house to put on his new belongings. Saria showed up just as the boy emerged onto the small porch, the sight for her was quite déjà vu. Saria could remember the day when Link last stepped out onto that spot as a boy, on the day he began his quest. "He looks so much like you did back then…" Saria sighed, her little fairy stopping to sit in her hair.

"But he's missing something, you do still have the Ocarina I gave you don't you?" Link nodded, his expression hinting that it was a surprise. Saria looked at Link "I see the Ocarina of Time is still with you…Link, hasn't it been long enough?"

Link put a hand on the Ocarina of Time he had tied on his belt "Yes but I don't know if I want to let go of it yet." Saria smiled, she was pleased to see that Link had not lost his connection with their past life.

All too soon the sun began creeping low on the horizon, and they had to get moving if they were to get back to the palace before dark. But as they passed out of the woods Link got to thinking to himself _"Saria will always have a life-long friend for she has her fairy. Navi where did you go?"_

Link decided to take Chirin out to see every area of their kingdom, each day visiting a new place, and with each visit Chirin would also met a new Sage, though Chirin would have no knowledge of that fact. Chirin insisted he wear the Kokiri tunic on each new outing, glad to leave his uncomfortable prince clothes behind.

Today was a visit to Kakariko Village and then Death Mountain to meet the fire and rock race, the Gorons.

Darunia, unlike the ever-youthful Kokiri, was beginning to show his age with his hair turning white and his face lined with wrinkles. Darunia was happy to finally meet his sworn brother's son and gave Chirin a swift pat on the back knocking him to the ground, Link grinned with nostalgia at the sight of his son picking himself up off the floor.

As they left Death Mountain Chirin gave Link quite the fright when the boy ran over and picked a bombflower not even knowing what it was. Chirin had to apologize to a rather shaken Goron on the path below after Link took the ticking timebomb out of Chirin's hands and tossed it blindly over the edge of the cliff in his state of alarm.

The Next day brought a visit to the river and Zora's domain. Chirin had quite a time swimming with the aquatic race in the lake within the underground cavern and the boy was determined to jump from the top of the waterfall. Link eventually brought him up to meet the king of the Zora and Princess Ruto with a promise that he could jump the falls afterwards. Ruto looked at Chirin with googly eyes "He could have been our kid!" she stated teasingly but with a hint of hurt.

Link sighed "Ruto, it really would have never worked out."

Chirin not wanting to wait any longer went to the top of the falls behind Link's back. Link's awkward conversation was cut short as he heard the boy scream. Link ran down the passage and to the edge, he found Chirin at the bottom, unhurt but also unhappy, the boy had water up his nose. Link smiled remembering his own reaction; he could see that Chirin, like himself as a child, had learned the hard way that the waterfall was not as fun as it looked.

Next up was a trip to check out Gerudo's fortress, to meet the people of the desert and for Chirin to meet Nabooru. The ever feisty Nabooru liked Chirin from the start "Link, I never did keep my promise to you when I meet you as a boy. Do you Mind if I give your son the present I planed on giving you for those silver gauntlets I wanted you to bring me long ago?" Link was curious at what had she intended to give him. Nabooru bent down and kissed Chirin on the cheek she looked at Link with seductive eyes "I really wanted to give that to you." Link blushed as he turned around and walked away a look of "no comment" on his face, meanwhile Chirin acted disgusted for he is still at an age where girls have cooties...he becamse even more disgusted when all the Gerudo girls fawned over him like hens who just found a stray baby chick.

When they got back home Chirin was once again in a frenzy as he told his mother all he had done that day. Chirin in his loose white pajamas bounced around on the bed on his hands and knees as he retold their adventure. Link hushed the boy, telling the lad he had one more surprise for him as he handed over Saria's ocarina to Chirin. The enthusiastic young boy tooted away wildly until Zelda could not stand it any longer and sat her son down. The Queen showed him how to use it and how to play a few songs, starting with the song closest to her heart, Zelda's Lullaby.

That night when Link tucked Chirin in bed, under the dim flickering light of a flame he pulled out his own ocarina and softly played the Song of Time. Link smiled as the boy repeated it on the little ocarina, Link's expression was soft and heartfelt as he looked at his son "Keep this song in your heart, for it is one which opens the doors to many great things…"

Link went back to his room to find Zelda already in her nightgown and tending to her hair in front of the large mirror by the door. He finally stripped off his uncomfortable kingly garb to get into his night clothes "Crap, I forgot laundry day again didn't I...I'm out of clean shirts...again" he said sitting on the bed in white pants and without socks, he liked being barefoot.

Link sat at the end of the bed and removed his hat revealing his little secret; long braided hair.

Zelda looked over to see him fussing with the braid, he had not brushed his hair in a few days and his braid was all fuzzed up and matted looking. She smiled, Link kept his hair hidden because Mido and the others teased him about it, but Saria loved it and she had begged Link to hide it versus cutting it, and Link had kept it long ever since.

Link got up, grabbed a brush and began working his way through the tangles, an amusing look of concern on his face as he picked apart his hair.

When Link was done he began to braid it again "Here, just let me do it, when you braid it yourself it comes out all crooked." she said seating herself on the bed behind him and taking his hair into her hands before he could even comply.

While Zelda braided his hair she paused as her attention was brought to the large scar on his shoulder, then to another scar that went the full length of his back, and more down his arms...Zelda then looked at the scar that bothered her the most, the one at the side of his throat...she was reminded yet again, about why Link always wore long sleeved shirts with a high collar.

Link reached back and put his hand over hers "That life is behind me now." the former hero said, their bond was so close that he knew just what she was thinking "I have no plans on adding to my collection of scars." he said teasingly as Zelda put her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

The next day was an important day at the palace. Link had already spent nearly the whole week away from his duties as King and badly needed to catch up, but Chirin was restless and bursting with adventure. Link very much wanted to play with his son, there was nothing he would rather do more, but he had let his duties slide as much as he could afford to.

So Link compromised and took him over to Lon Lon Ranch to play with Malon's kids. The ranch children had often come to play with Chirin at the palace while their mother delivered milk, but this was Chirin's first time getting to visit them.

"If I'm not back by super have him eat with you but in return he'll have to do the dishes." he winked to Malon as Chirin stuck out his tongue "Hopefully this won't take all day." He lovingly hugged his child goodbye. As Link turned to leave he stopped, "Oh and son, do NOT tease the cuccos...I'm serious. Just trust me you do not want to make them mad." Malon giggled recalling what Link did as a child. With his last words of advice Link left the ranch and made his way back to the castle.

Indeed it was very late by the time his duties where done. Link strolled across the field now out of his uncomfortable kingly clothing and back in his preferred simple rugged tunic. An owl hooted as insects sang in the darkness. Link walked up to the door and gave it a knock, Malon answered but was rather surprised.

"I'm here to pick up Chirin" he said in a happy yet weary voice, he looked quite tired.

Now Malon was very confused "What do you mean? You and Nabooru picked him up over an hour ago." Link froze, Malon put her hands over her mouth her mannerism reminiscent of Anju of the Stock Pot Inn. "You mean that wasn't you in the dark tunic!"


	3. Chapter 3 The Owl

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 3: The Owl

Link barged into the castle throwing the heavy doors aside as he stormed in, Zelda was surprised to see that Chirin was not with him. At first she thought Link was having another one of his grumpy fits that he was known to fall into after a long days work...but When Zelda saw the stormy look on Link's face she new some thing was very wrong and fear gripped her chest.

Link called in a deep bellowing voice to the guards to have Epona ready for departure shocking them with this strong tone, they had never heard this tone of voice from their King before and it sent them into a serious and hastened state.

Link stormed into the bedroom removing the king's cape he had over his tunic letting it fall to the floor as he approached the tall dresser in the corner. Link pulled open the doors and armed himself with his bow and quiver of arrows, long-shot, bombs, Lense of Truth, mirror shield and a custom made sword crafted to resemble the trusted weapon he relied on in the future that almost was.

Zelda was worried sick, silently following Link at a distance knowing he would reveal what happened as soon as his mind was clear. Link hardly stopped to explain, "Chirin has been taken, I am sure as of by whom. I must find him quickly." He reached out to Zelda and drew her close for a quick reassuring kiss as he left.  
He crashed through the gates Epona running at full speed towards the Guredo fortress. The horse sensing his anguish put all her power into each step, every fiber of her being put into helping the hero she faithfully follows. Link relying on his steeds speed as the Ocarina of Time has long since lost the ability to teleport Link to any of the temples.

Link found the bridge over the Gerudo Gorge was out but he still rode full steam ahead to the edge if the deadly cliff. Epona made the jump effortlessly with skill no other horse, aside from her daughter, had ever been able to master.  
He stormed through the Gerudo fortress unaware of the worried and fearful faces of Nabooru's people as they watched the the hero on horseback go by.

The sky was rosy pink with the light of dawn as he finally reached the Sprit Temple, Nabooru was outside the doors her eyes glowing the way Ganon's did just before he became a huge beast. This confirmed Link's suspicions for Nabooru was put under a curse when Ganon became the King of Evil in the future that almost was and it seems she is under the control of evil again. As he approached her she grinned cruelly but did not attack, instead she stepped aside inviting him to enter.

Link knew that he would be facing many traps ahead. Even so he had to save his son. Having been through the temple before he knew where to go and how to get there. He confronted twice as many villains as he had in the future that almost was, and each tried their best to kill him.

Link was not phased by this, he ignored the pain of the creatures attacks as he fought his way through, relying on the same weapons and items that got him through this task before, his mind focused on getting his child back.  
Link showed that his fighting skills were indeed more than just learned but rather instinct, despite years of a peaceful life Link fought with more vigor than ever before making his way to the room that contained the beautifully painted Dessert Colossus.

Link stood panting and bleeding atop the platform that stood belly high on the inner colossus. He looked up, the face of the female figure entwined with serpents and cloaked in the hood of a cobra was still intact for he never fought Khume and Kotake in this time line, but there was still something wrong.

Dark Link stood at the top of the hooded cobra his body a mirror image of Link aside from darkend features and a black tunic. Chirin was gagged and slung under the doppelgangers arm kicking franticly to get away but to no avail. Link pulled his sword from its sheath as the form of Link atop the colossus went from looking like a darkened identical to having black hair and red eyes and then further shifted into a solid black shadowy form with eyes glowing solid red.

Dark only laughed, "You wont attack me. Not as long as I have your son. You know full well what I am capable of, I nearly killed you last we met. How quickly do you think I slit your son's throat? I doubt you have you forgotten how quickly I nearly slit yours." Link put his hand to the side of his neck, fear for his son growing deeper as he recalled his last encounter with the shadow.

Dark tightened his grip making Chirin cringe in pain and start to squeal, Link flinched; he knew the shadow was right, Dark's grin widened. Link was still in shock "How is it you are still alive, I killed you!" "Fool you cannot kill me! I am a dark incarnation of yourself, as long as you breath and as long as the Dark Lord Ganon remains in this world to breath life into me I can return a thousand fold!" The dark figure said with a sly grin, his glowing red eyes slimming.

"Ganon!" link stammered in shock "He is no longer in this world, the Sages made sure of that" "HA! The Sages are fools, they should have known a part of them was missing, they should have known the seal would not last forever!" he dug his claws into Chirin and the boy cried out in pain, Dark grinned at the look of agony on Link's helpless face "I will return him to you… after you do me one favor. You are the only one who can play that Ocarina and through it open the doors to remove the final key. You will allow Ganon to enter the sacred realm and then return to him the two pieces he had lost… or I shall return your son in two pieces!" with that the dark figure disappeared in a puff of putrid smoke, his arrogant laugh still hanging heavy I the air.

As Link left the temple feeling defeated he found Nabooru on her knees and back to her old self, Nabooru shook her head as if to try and clear her mind of what just happened. She looked up to see Link's depressed distraught face, despite being under the spell of control her true self trapped within still saw what had unfolded. Link approached her, Nabooru saw he held no contempt towards her and she was relieved that he understood it was not her will to take his child.

Link stood silent for a moment "Do you know where he has taken my son." Link said slowly and solemnly his sharp sad eyes upon her. "Link, I may know where he has gone for he always returns to his favorite spot at Ganon's side. There is more desert behind this temple but only Ganon and whomever he allows can reach it. I am not sure, but for some reason I believe, no, I know the only way you can reach them is with the unknown power my people hid." Link was confused "An unknown power?" Nabooru nodded

"There is a legend passed down in my family of a race of people who once lived beyond these mountains. Three great powers dwelt there; Dragons of Ice, the great Giant Wolves, and the snow people known as The Winged Ones. These three great races died out as their frozen home became a dessert. My ancestors found a silver Sage medallion with the Winged ones symbol at an shattered temple surrounded by statues of winged beings, dragons and huge wolfose. Long ago the Spirit Sage of that era sealed it away by building the Colossus inside this temple around it knowing it had an extraordinary power which must not be destroyed, I was told she could hear a voice when she held the medallion which told her to do so. The legend also says the medallion told her 'You are not the chosen one, only he may claim this power, only he will know the song to release me.' but no one knows what song the medallion speaks of." Link looked hopeful "I must find that medallion."

Link entered the Spirit Temple once more, his gait lifted by wings of hope and found his way back to the inner colossus. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time figuring that is what was meant by song. If building the colossus was orders from voice of the medallion then playing the right song must move it. He played the seven sage songs and nearly every other song he knew but nothing worked.

Link paused for a moment to calm down, he must not let the panic over his son's safety cloud his mind…The Winged Ones, wings, owl….the Song of Soaring, the song he learned from another land, learned from the one being that followed him from this world to that one, from Kaepora Gaebora the owl. Link played the song, hopeful. This song certainly did something.

The whole place began to rumble and the huge statue began to move away from the wall, Link backed away as it moved towards him. When the dust cleared Link took a look behind the statue, sitting upon a pedestal was a silver medallion with a winged symbol. He steeped up to the platform; hesitant he merely looked at the glowing disk before him and slowly put his hands around it. The instant he touched it he was enwrapped in a pillar of light and the next thing he knew he was in a glowing room surrounded by a flurry of snow.

The air was frosty cold as a voice reached his ears "Link, the Hero of Time, the chosen one, you finally have come. You wish to save your son, I wish to save my people." Link looked around but all he could see was the swirling white of the blizzard, the voice sounded again "I will help you but you must help me, help all of us for only you can." Link's eyes went wide for he knew that voice, he had not heard it on a long time but he knew the sound of that voice.

Link called out in a perplexed tone "Kaepora Gaebora?" a figure appeared through the snow "Yes but now you see me in my true form." Link heard the voice of the owl, but what stepped into the clearing was the figure of a tall man with long silver hair, his eyes a pale crystal blue, three red lines under each eye and a blue star adorned his forehead. He wore white robes and decorated armor, but most prominent of all was a set of huge pearly white wings.  
This winged being stood before Link but the voice was the same as the owl which had helped Link in the future that almost was as well as in the land outside Hyrule.

"Link generations ago my home was known as The Land of Snow, I was the land's king and also the Sage of Wind." Kaepora continued "The winged race was the first to use magic, before then only the fairies knew of such arts. At first we only benefited from magic. Our land was changing and we feared our existence in this world would be cut short, but something wonderful happened as wolfose came to learn the magic of our land. They became able to sustain a small area of cold wherever they traveled, and while home in our mountains their abilities reached tenfold as their magic became entwined with the magic rooted in the land.

Through the wolves we retained the winter our land had lost, and so we owed our very lives to them and treated the great beasts as royalty… but soon we learned magic could also be our undoing. The first form of evil magic appeared in the form of a fire demon whose form resembled and mocked that of the wolfose. My people can only survive in a frozen land and soon our lives were threatened as this fire demon began to kill off the noble wolfose."

Kaepora could see a hint of confusion on Link's face at the mention of wolfose

"Unlike the wolfose you know these were benevolent creatures, a creature the monsters you have fought were named after. They were without enemies, twenty times the size of a man and very powerful... but the flames of the demon were hot enough to turn sand to glass and the wolfose never had a chance. Without the magic of the wolfose our home became unbearably hot, not even the ice dragons could hold back the demon as his strength grew with the rising heat and they fled, save one..."

Kaepora's face held a lingering worry at his mentioning of the one dragon.

"When our last hope was sent away to another land and failed to return I took two of the last of the wolfose we fled huddled under the cloak of chill that follows the beasts. We fled to a small place with a deep rooted sense of magic that may be able to save us for a time. I had no choice, I sealed my people in an ageless slumber inside the cavern outside Zora's domain, I knew a solution would take more than a lifetime and a lifetime in that wretched place was one not worth living, and yet it is a sacrifice one of the wolfose made for me and my people.

The wolfose has been there all this time, they can live for generations but not forever, I could not put the wolfose into suspended animation for the endless winter he generates would stop.

The magic inherent in the land the cavern sits on has sustained the life force of the wolfose far longer than he would have lasted elsewhere, but now the poor creature does not have long to live and with him dies my people."

Link's heart jumped, such sadness in his voice, the same sadness he heard in Impa's voice when she spoke of her clan. Only unlike Impa there was still hope for Kaepora to restore his people to this world, there was a chance that he would not become the last, and Link would do what he could to give Kaepora this chance.

"I was last to be sealed away with my family, but being a Sage I could spiritually reach out into the world, in the same way as I am right now, in hopes of finding a solution to our problem. But first I had to protect the last of the wolfose.  
I traveled back to my homeland with the second wolfose and we gathered the meager few that were left and I sealed them in suspended animation under the Temple of Wind in hopes that one day we would find a permanent place to live once more.

I failed to return to the Ice Cavern, the demon and I ended up face to face but he did not kill me with his flames, he knew he could hurt me more by keeping me from my family, my wife, my son, and my little girl… my sprit was put into the avatar of an owl while my true form was sealed in the medallion. I would live on forever with my home stripped of life and my family sealed out of reach, knowing they would surly die if the Hero of Time was not to be.

I was foretold that you could save us all, and so I waited for generations, waited for the child of destiny the magic of the land spoke off."

The air around them grew colder Link shivered but still spoke "I will help, just tell me how. I will free your family and do what I can to return your home to normal after I save my son." Kaepora smiled warmly "You will need our magic and our gift. With this medallion and one other item any magic you have learned will become twice as strong. You will also be given a few new powers…as well as…well you will know of the last gift once you find the item I speak of." Link was confused

"Look at my face young one, does it not remind you of anything? Find what I speak of and then return to me." Kaepora's warm smile disappeared in a wall of white as Link was returned to his world.


	4. Chapter 4 The Tenshioni

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 4: The Tenshioni

Link stood there feeling a little dumbfounded considering the series of events that had just unfolded on top of his anxiety and lack of sleep. He paused for a moment to let what Kaepora said sink in and then made his way back to the entrance of the Spirit temple and then took the long trip back home, alone.

Link hated to return to the castle without his son in tow, but he had no choice, he needed to consult with others to cast light upon this situation, and hopefully the item he needs may also be there.

Link approached the palace slowly on horseback, his face wrought with worry and his eyes lowered in thought. Zelda and Impa ran to him eager for any news of the young prince, their heart sank when Link's sad eyes met their's.

Once inside Link told them everything that had happened, as link finished his tale Impa stood up a sense of purpose in her motions "He had wings, and marks on his face." Impa left not even waiting for an answer, off to her study. Perplexed the young king and queen followed.

Impa climbed the book shelf not even wasting time with a ladder, she jumped back down with the book open "Did he look like this" Link looked at the page, drawings of winged folks, with white hair, pointy ears and marked faces filled his eyes "Yes, what do you know?" "As you well know I am the last of my kind. Well my race is not the only one to perish under dire circumstances." She turned the page, the next image was graphic as it showed a winged woman set on fire "Generations ago, so long ago that only Sheikah history recalls it...My people tried to help the Winged Ones in return for what they did to help the Sheikah... but there was nothing they could do, so swift was the demon that nearly all the Sheikah warriors of the time were wiped out before they even reached the land of snow, and being a race predominant of warriors our numbers never recovered…"

Link took the book from Impa and silently turned the pages, the room was deathly silent as Link studied the images with his sad and worried eyes. While looking at the faces of the winged race Link suddenly made a connection. Without saying a thing Link dropped the book and raced back to their sleeping quarters and climbed under the bed. From back against the wall he pulled a trunk from under the bed frame. Within it he began to dig through the many masks and artifacts he brought back from his childhood search for Navi.

Link found it, he pulled out the Oni, the Fierce Deity mask.

Foregoing sleep Link returned to the Spirit Temple, Impa and Zelda insisted on coming but Link knew they would only slow him down for Epona was too tired to travel and only the steed's daughter could match Epona's speed and stamina and Fillea was the only other horse who could jump the gorge.

Link again found his way to the Spirit Temple and down into the depths to the inner colossus, he played the Song of Soaring and again the statue moved and he touched the silver medallion.

Kaepora's grin met Link's gaze as Link held the Oni Mask up at arms length "This is it right?" "Yes."  
"Link you know how you obtained the other masks that change your form correct?" "Yes, they each were a lost soul and I ended up taking on a shadow of their forms to help bring peace to those they left behind. Though their powers of transformation seem to no longer work in this world…and I was only ever able to use this one in the presence of the mightiest of creatures" "That is because their soul's task becamse complete when you saved the land of Termia." Kaepora said referring to the Zora, Goron and Deku masks "And the soul in this mask is a mighty warrior whose soul has yet to even begin its redemption."

"The sage continued "When we were attacked there was but one of us whose powers made him immune to the warmth, he wished to fight the demon but with a heavy heart I sent him on a more important task." Kaepora winched with his next words "He went in search of a new home for us to retreat to... and never returned. It was when I followed you through the Lost Woods and to the world of Termia that I learned what had happened. He had made it to that land by following the Prince of the Sheikah whom used that same path you took through the Lost Woods. But he was caught up in a dire situation much like we faced, one that wiped out the Sheikah of Termia..and he died alongside the Sheikah.

When I saw the mask you obtained I knew it was a part of him, but that something was wrong, Majora had sealed off the angel leaving only the demon in hopes that it would consume your soul."

Link's eyes grew wide with these words. The form of the Fierce Deity was indeed a fearsome form to take for it seemed to eat at his very being the longer he remained in his transformed body, it seemed to erode at his mind and essence driving him into a powerful but violent state of being. Knowing now it was merely the evil half of a whole filled Link with an odd sensation of awe and horror.

"The angel?"  
"Yes, your generation remembers us as the winged ones, but we are the Tenshioni, the angle demons, unlike other living things our inclination for pure and impure is balanced making us truly neutral in nature and spirit, allowing us to live with an inner peace that other beings can only hope to grasp in their lifetimes. Our balance allows us to hear the words of the land and use magic others cannot. Other beings spend their entire lives finding a balance within themselves and the point of balance is always blurred. But with a Tenshioni the balance is clear and distinct from birth, if half of the balance is removed the results are drastic."

"Link I can restore the angel to the demon. When I do this the balance will be restored, this does mean that the fierce presence of the oni will be muted, you will not have the pure and violent power you had before. But you will obtain a new and different power alongside the gift of flight, you will both in order to succeed.  
Link, take hold of the medallion and then put on the mask.  
Oh and boy, brace yourself."

Link looked at him, not liking that part. Hesitant and concerned by what the Sage had just said Link did as told. As Link donned the mask he found himself within the threshold of the transformation. The transformations Link felt in the past with use of the masks, the feeling of his Hyrulian form shifting to that of another always hurt but this was drastically different, this was agonizing and the pain burnned into his very core.  
Link dropped to the ground in the form of the Oni trying not to cry out in pain and failing as the agony grew greater. He tried to get back up and failed as he hit the ground again. The form of the oni began to change as his eyes no longer glowed a solid white, his eyes were as they were before only a very pale ice blue.  
Link was wracked with pain as blood soaked his clothing the source at his back, the Oni armor split open at the seams down each shoulder blade and blood oozed forth. With one last tremor of pain Huge wings shot from his back, the blood sliding off each feather like water down a ducks back as they unfurled leaving behind unstained, shimmering pure white wings.

Kaepora smiled at the familiar sight that now stood before him "The gift of flight, this form will now come and go at your will, the Tenshioni has left the mask and is now an integrated part of you. And this is a gift you will forever have for the mask's duty became full filled when it became a part of you, when it became a kind and selfless warrior once again.  
But be warned, when you use this gift it will greatly weaken you, when you dispel the wings you will feel the affect.  
Now There is a hole in ceiling in the room to the left; fly through it and head west you will find the Wind Temple. Now go…There is little time left."

Link found himself back in the room of the Sprit temple, he noticed the symbol of the medallion of Wind on the back of his hand. And so Link began the task of getting used to his huge wings. Thankfully the nature of the transformation also brought along inherent instinct for a shadow of the soul of the Tenshioni still remained in this form, silently guiding him. Link practiced flying around the room with the colossus for a moment before searching for the hole he was to fly through. He found it easily enough and went on through.

The land before him was a barren scorched land with not even a single plant or any other living thing in site, not even a single dead tree or set of bones were to be found in this land of rock and sand. He flew to the west as instructed the beating of his wings working as a fan colling him in this heat. Link flew on and eventually became fully accustomed to having wings as they now moved on their own without his full focus. By the time Link really began to enjoy flying the ruined temple was in view. He landed a mile form the temple and then dispelled the wings, he fell to his knees breathing heavily and crashed to the ground laying on his chest suddenly utterly exhausted.

Link felt as though he had fought Gannon twice or as if he had been running non-stop for twenty four hours. He did not realize the toll would be this great. Looking around him he now very much wished he had chosen a better place to land for this was not exactly the most safe or comfortable place for him to pass out.  
Link laid in the sand and slept, sheild over his head and upper body to block out the sun. His strength came back to him within the hour, Link got up remaining in his Hylian form and made his way to the temple.

Link entered and as he looked upon the three doors before him. He was not sure which to try, none had locks and Link figured that danger must lie hbehind each one, a long quest before him just as with the temples in the future that almost was. But as he approached the doors the imprint of the medallion of Wind began to glow and suddenly a fourth door appeared out of nowhere.

Link trusted his instincts and opened the door, before him was an rudimentary elevator like in the Forest temple. He figured there had to be a catch but it did not appear to be a trap and not a villain was in sight, not even a single keese. He entered and it began to go up, and up, and up. The ride was rather long but all to soon Link saw the shadowy form of Dark Link as the elevator reached the top. Dark stood with a start from the table he sat at, the ornate rod iron chair slamming to the ground, he seemed shocked and highly irritated "How did you find that door! Nothing could reveal it! Not even the Lenz of Truth!" a huge creature stirred behind the large empty throne at the end of the long and tall room, Link did not get a very good look but he knew it had to be the Fire Demon. Its flaming form took up the entire end of the grand throne room, its shoulders alone reached from floor to ceiling as it laid on the stone.

Link then heard a loud mumble and the sound of metal rattling overhead, he looked up Chirin was gagged and tied to the chandelier. Dark pulled out his sword and charged at the Hero, Link transfomed. As the huge pearly wings sprouted from Links back and as the armor and marks of the oni appeared on his face the shadowy doppelganger stopped dead in his tracks and stared jaw dropped at the unexpected sight of the Winged being before him.

Link flew up and pulled Chirin free, Chirin held onto his father for dear life as Link dove into the elevator with a thud and the thing began going back down. They sat, Chirin in Link's lap looking up at the strange form his father had taken, Link listing for any sound as the metal box they rode in descended. The box was small and hot and the huge feathers of links massive wings were smothering them so Link dispelled the Tenshioni form.  
This was a huge mistake.

Link was shocked by how much dispelling the wings harmed him, he did not expect any effect having only held the form for a few minutes.  
Though Link had only taken this form for a short time he was still weakened greatly. The silence above them was shattered by the sound of screaming metal as Dark ripped the top of the elevator clean off. Link was feeling the full affect of the energy drain and was only able to reach up helplessly as the shadowy figured pulled his son out of his reach

"If you want the brat back come to the Temple of Time, and be forewarned, I will not be alone this time." Dark grinned slyly. Link got up to pursue him but then nearly passed out and fell to his knees.


	5. Chapter 5 Wings vs Shadows

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleah west . deviant art . com / art/Winged-Oni-Link-vs-Dark-Link-195971376

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 5: Wings vs. Shadows

Dark disappeared, Chirin's scream hung heavy in the air. The elevator hit rock bottom and Link stumbled out now almost fully recovered from the drain of the Deity form. He was rather depressed, he had succeeded only to fail a second later because of foolish mistake.

Link figured that since Dark had twice taken his son and has seen him so weak that his dark nemesis must think he has already won.

Link stood on the steps of the sun scorched temple and looked onwards towards home. The only way out of the mountains where he stood, was by air. He had to transform again.

Link called forth the wings as his green tunic and blonde hair melted into the form of the Tenshioni. As before his shield and sword vanished in this form leaving him with the single huge double helix blade. But this time his Hylian form left behind the belt he wore with his gear still in his side bags and the ocarina still strapped to his belt. And this time his quiver was still at his back along with his bow. He looked around not seeing Kaepora but he knew the sage had somehow altered the state of his transformation so that Link would keep the items he needed in the battle ahead, light arrows are the only thing that seems to give Link an advantage against Ganon. "Thank you, Kaepora." Link said as his feathers unfurled.  
On his grand wings Link began to fly towards the Temple of Time.

Link decided not to dispel the wings until after Gannon was defeated. His second recovery was swifter than when he dispelled the wings in the desert but the initial blow was just as intense. Link did not even want to think about the consequences of staying in the Tenshioni form so long, but he could not afford the time to recover from the draining effects of the transformation until all was said and done. He could not afford to be out of commission whilst within Ganon's reach.

Link arrived far more swiftly by air than he had before by horseback, it was just barely still daylight when the castle came into view.

The sun was low on the horizon as Link landed outside the Temple of Time, red clouds hung I the air as if stained with the blood of the setting sun. He folded his wings behind him the tips of the longest feathers brushing the steps as she approached the doors of the temple.

Link walked inside the already open door and stood at the end of the room. The peace and beauty of the temple was broken by what laid within.  
Gannon stood beside the alter where the 3 Spiritual Stones still rested for the time line was brought back to the moment just before the doors opened, the stones remained in place when Link replaced the Master Sword and sealed the Doors of Time.  
Gannon's dark face was smug and his flame colored eyes sharp and cruel. He had not changed since Link last saw him, his tall and burly body still cloaked in his red king's robe and elaborate Gerudo clothing, his skin the color of the desert people and his hair the color of blood and flames.  
Chirin was gagged and bound to a pillar trying to wriggle free his eyes wild with fear. Dark stood propped against the same pillar in his flesh form, with his tan skin, black hair and red eyes, a dark mirror of Link, arms folded with a devious grin upon his face.

Ganon spoke first "My comrade here told me of this new form you have taken…I have never seen the likes of a creature such as you …impressive." He grinned darkly "But not as impressive as the power I uphold."  
The Dark King sneered "Open the doors and remove the sword. If you fail to do so the punishment will be the loss of your son's life." Link spoke not a word as he lifted his sword and stared at Gannon with sharp cold eyes, Gannon smirked "So you want to play then do you? Fine, watching you beat into submission will be grand amusement." Gannon turned to the shadow of Link "Just don't kill him." "Right" Dark said slyly as he went on the attack.

Dark's face with lit with a devious grin, the doppelganger's entire meaning for existence was a fight such as this and he relished in every moment with sinister desire. Link was taken aback by the fierce energy of Dark, he was barely able to defend against each blow of the blackened version of the Master Sword let alone retaliate an attack.

During the deadly dance of blades Link's sword only tasted flesh once, leaving a slice in Dark's cheek, deep enough that blood trickled into the shadow's mouth

"Nice move." Dark said with a cruel grin, wiping the blood from his face and staring at the blood that now coated his hand, relishing in the color "And now..." said the dark incarnation "Now it is my turn." The shadow's moves were driven by the pleasure of battle and he attacked with a new intensity, Link barely able to keep up with the savage energy of his opponent.

Link wings were getting in the way as he fought, he was not used to this new body and the feather's weight and bulk were making the hero's moves cumbersome. And though Link retained most of his items in the form of the Tenshioni Link was shieldless, relying on the huge double helix blade for both attack and defense.  
Dark saw that Link was faltering and grew ever more confident in his attack.

"What's the matter little birdy?" Dark taunted "Shall I clip those wings for you?" He said diving at a wing as Link recoiled it in response "At least I am not Ganon's lap dog." Link retorted lunging and missing "Oh I may be a stray mutt who stays at Ganon's side" Dark said gracefully dodging "but only because he lets me do whatever I want when… it comes…to….you!" the last of his sentence came with pause as he took a huge swing with each word.

Dark feeling overconfident and not wanting the fight to end too soon began to toy with Link, landing small and shallow cuts grinning with each grimace of pain from the hero. Dark glanced over to Ganon and saw he was getting irritated, it was time for Dark to speed things up but he was also not going to compromise his fun.

The shadow jumped and landed ever so daintily on the edge of Link's raised blade, defying logic and gravity as he did so, causing the hero to pause in shock. Dark suddenly cast his shield aside and leapt down from the sword his blade biting into Link's cheek as he reached out with the other hand, forcing Link to the tile below, tackling the winged hero and pinning him to the ground in a flurry of feathers.

Link hit the tile hard under the weight of himself and his shadowy double, the sword was knocked from his hand as he landed with a sharp clank as his armor hit the polished stone.

Dark was crouched down over Link who lay flat on his back on the floor with his hip to the side as one leg was caught under the other. Dark stood with one boot atop the hero's pure white feathers, his hand at the center of the hero's chest. The blade still caught in the flesh of Link's face making the red marks of the Oni appear to bleed under his right eye, the sword's stance threatening to cut in closer as if to take the hero's eye.  
Link's wings laid spread out upon the ground on either side of him their grace reflected in the blood spattered tile floor.

Dark had his head held high, glancing down at the fallen hero with a victorious grin.  
Link looked up a the figure in shock, that attack was pure play, the shadow being is merely toying with him, Dark could have easily finished his task just then. The Shadow sneered at Link relishing the anguish on the hero's face.

As Link met his snaky gaze anger welled up within him, Link reached up and grabbed Dark who was taken aback by the sudden embrace, Link heaved heavily with his wings pushing his form off the ground and up to the ceiling. Dark lashed out cutting at one of Link's wings and Link promptly dropped the dark incarnation who hit the ground flat on his back with a sharp thud and a heavy umpf.

"Well played." said the shadowy being as he picked his crumpled form off the ground wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Link hovered above him, sick with rage. As he prepared for an attack blinded by hate a voice suddenly reached him snapping him out of his fit of growing rage.

"Link, with this form comes the gift of wings but also the gift of the magic my people are masters of. Light is the enemy of darkness, the blade you hold can win if it tastes the blood of a Tenshioni. Look deep within yourself, the soul of the mask knows what to do." the words faded, Link quietly landed on the tile floor next to his fallen sword which laid amidst the bloodied feathers that fell from Dark's attack. Blood dripping from the cut to his face and wing, Dark circling him like a cat with a wounded bird.

Link narrowed his eyes as he reached up with one hand, Dark stopped and watched puzzled at Links odd body language. Link brought the tip of the sword to the palm of his outstretched hand. With a sudden and sharp motion link thrust the sword up past his hand, the full length of the blade cutting into his palm, the blood coating the edge of the blade from tip to hilt. Link never flinched and his sharp gaze never faltered as he did so.

Dark stared in awe of the fierce form before him, those eyes struck fear even into a creature as foul as him. As link grasped the hilt with his bloodied hand the blood pact was complete and the blade began to glow with an intense and pure light, the light of the Goddesses.

Dark found himself unable to move and he began to scream in pain and horror his sly grin gone on his now twisted face as his flesh turned to shadow. Link charged with a fierce cry as he struck the now solid black shadow figure slicing him in two from head to toe. The shadow form of Link began to shatter and break and with the trailing sound of his scream became nothing more than dust in the wind.

With his victory Link acted quickly, taking flight and diving to the pillar his son was bound to cutting him free with a swift and precise strike "Run!" was all he said to the boy who swiftly fled the Temple his eyes full of tears.

Gannon was taken aback by how quickly things had unfolded, within moments he had lost his captive and his cruelest minion.

With a growl a huge sword appeared in the Dark King's hand and the finial battle began.


	6. Chapter 6 Lost Wings

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleah west . deviant art . com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Lost-Wings-195424275

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 6: Lost Wings

Link charged forward holding his huge double helix sword with both hands, the blonde hero jumped up into the air using the grace of his wings to let the blade come down with crushing strength, Ganon raised his huge sword and shielded Link's blow.  
Link fought with a new confidence having defeated dark and having gained much experience in the process. Link found himself moving more freely this time as Dark's long toying battle had given Link time to get used to fighting in his new body. Link learned to adapt to the bulk of his wings, using them instead of holding them stiff, unfurling one and then the other using the momentum of the large wing's motion to dodge more swiftly.  
Link's instincts took over and the hero within him that had been suppressed for so long in his days of peace fully awakened once more. Blue sparks showered the quarreling pair as metal met metal again and again.

Link spread his wings and flew up to the ceiling and dove down like a hawk. He readied he sword for a devastating blow, but his attack was too blunt and Ganon easily dodged Link's strike. Ganon swung his blade aiming for Link's wings but Link got the upper hand as his sword met Gannon's flesh leaving a gash across his shoulder. Ganon was furious and ditched the sword as he began to gather dark energy intending to bring the hero to his knees with his fearsome magic.  
Link flew higher and right out the door as he tried to dodge Ganon's spheres of crackling energy. Chirin was outside hiding the shrubbery and watched as the battle unfolded, too afraid to run home on his own.

Link was in mid-flight circling Ganon as the Dark King hovered above the ground outside the sacred temple. Link fired a light arrow but in the process was struck by one of Ganon's magic orbs the strong impact knocking Link to the ground. Link struck the ground with his right side, he had barely managed to get his wing folded back and out of the way in time.  
As link skidded and bounced across the stone tile the tethering holding the Ocarina of Time to his belt broke free sending the Ocarina clanking across the ground landing at the foot of the steps. Chirin gasped at the sight for he knew how much his father cared about it, his father never let it out of his sight.

Link sat up, pain showing in his scraped up face. Link was met with an all too familiar sensation, a few ribs were cracked, but he had to continue the fight. Link took to the air once again dodging his opponents attacks carried by his massive feathers, his ribs aced with each beat of his wings.

Link sent another light arrow flying and this one hit its mark sending Ganon into a momentary shock. Link dealt a devastating blow to Ganon cutting him severely across the torso but Ganon quickly regained his senses and sent out nine spheres of crackling energy all at once, Link's spin attack deflected each one and five of the orbs returned to hit Ganon hurting him severely for the force of the attack was meant to all but completely kill Link.  
Link let lose another powerful blow at Ganon with the double helix blade, the severity of Link's strike combined with the blow Ganon had taken from his own backfired attack brought Ganon down, the huge form of the Dark King hit the ground face first his dark king's robe draping over him.

All was silent as Ganon laid motionless on the stone ground, Link took some distance watching the still form of the Gerudo King with an apprehensive stare. Chirin came out of hiding leaves flying from his hair as he rushed to the steps and reached down to pick up the ocarina, but before he could lay his small hands on the sacred relic the ground began to rumble.

Link knew what was coming for he has done this before. Ganon rose from the ground hanging in the air, his head lowered. Sharply the Dark King raised his head eyes wide open and glowing and he began to change into the Beast right before the horrified Chirin.

He grew to a towering size, his head adored with the huge horns of a ram, his body covered in dark coarse short fur, his face was that of a fearsome boar, his feet large cloven hooves, body muscular and human-like with a long serpentine tail. In his cruelly claws hands were twin swords each as large as Link. The beast's eyes glowed with an ungodly light as it stared the hero down and lighting struck the land.

The Hero took flight high into the air to stay out of the reach of Ganon's swords as he mustered up the magic energy needed to perform the first of the three new light attacks his Tenshioni form knew, the knowledge to do so shared with him by the shadow of the soul that remained in the mask.

He spread his wings out wide as he hovered in the sky, Link was now suspended by the magic of his growing attack instead of by the beat of his wings. As Link closed his eyes and held the blade of his sword close to his brow Link and brought his wings in around himself cloaking his body. A spiral of golden light encircled the winged the figure and a bright light seeped through the gaps of the feathers that cloaked his body, the wings opened releasing a beam of golden light that engulfed and stunned Ganon causing the beast to stand nearly motionless as his body twitched fighting the spell.

Link saw that the tail was no longer the creatures weakness, Ganon knew that was his downfall last time and his tail now was laden with armor. But Ganon had no way of knowing the Hero of Time would obtain the gift of light and at his back his armor left him exposed. Link saw this opening in the monster's defenses and dove like a hawk, landing on the creature's back he stabbed the huge beast his sword biting deep.

This brought Ganon back into the battle as Link's blow counteracted the stunning affects of the light spell. Ganon swiped vigorously for Link's wings but Link was to quick and performed the second attack, his wings went strait up as he held his hands high overhead each grasping the hilt of the sword, golden light cloaking Link like a flame. As Link's wings fell to his side as the flickering light became concentrated in his sword and with it he generated and aimed a ball of light at the hulking creature.

Ganon tried to avoid it but his beastly form is large and slow and Ganon was easily struck and was stunned even worse than before. Chirin was watching awestruck at the steps, the ocarina still beside his feet.

Once again Link attacked from above hitting Ganon where it hurt him the most, piercing the dark flesh at his back further staining his dark fur and armor red. But Ganon's revolt came much quicker than before and this time his blow was planned and precise.

The beast of Ganon lashed out at the winged hero, Link did not expect such speed and precision from the beast and was severely caught off guard.

The huge sword tore into one of Link's wings almost cutting it completely off between the joint and shoulder. The hero's face grew hollow as the pain and reality of what just happened reached him. The sword slid from his hand and fell to the ground below and soon Link followed it's descent, his body in too much shock from the pain of the nearly severed limb to respond to his plummet. Even if Link could force his stunned and tormented body to react there was no way he could have slowed his fall on his useless wing.

When the wings are called forth they are a physical part of Link, the pain of his nearly hacked off wing was equal too if not greater than what he would have felt if it were his arm that had been almost completely severed from his body.  
Link fell from the sky as the destroyed and helpless wing became stained with crimson. Link hit the ground hard, coughing blood as his back hit cold stone with a sickening thud, his arrows slid out of his quiver and the bow on his back snapped upon impact.

Lind laid on his back surrounded by feathers drenched in red. The damaged wing spread out to his side, the other curled over his form, his hands laid out to either side fingers curled into limp fists. The double helix blade laid just above his head on the dark stone tile. The pain of nearly loosing a limb was too much for Link's already beaten and weary body to handle. The Hero's eyes closed and he went unconscious.

With Link's mind no longer in control the Tenshioni form dispelled on its own and Link was drained of his energy, this time the effect was far worse than ever before. Now his Hylian body laid upon the ground bearing the physical injuries the Tenshioni body had sustained and a phantom pain lingered from the damage to the wing as the Tenshioni form repaired itself within his soul's core taking what it needed from Link's life force.

Ganon limped over to Link, blood oozing from the wounds at his back. The huge beast picked Link up with one hand, his claws wrapped tight and cruel around the listless hero. Ganon looked down at Link and snarled as every fiber of his being wanted to crush the helpless hero and end it all here and now. But he would not kill Link just yet, He needed him to open the Door of Time and he needed Link alive as bait to lure Zelda close enough to capture. Ganon needed them both alive so he could claim their parts of the Triforce upon opening the Sacred Realm.

Chirin was in shock, trembling in fear and agony as he watched his father fail and fall. The boy was utterly terrified seeing his once strong and noble father now seemingly lifeless in the hands of the enemy. Chirin reached down to grab the ocarina and run for help…but as he touched The Ocarina of Time the young boy felt a tug deep within his chest, he looked away into the temple and saw the alter with its three glowing stones. This strange urge brought the boy inside, something telling him to play the song, the song his father told him to keep close to his heart.

Chirin walked rather calmly for a boy whose father was near death, he held the Ocarina of Time to his lips and began to play. Ganon heard the tune and with eyes wide dropped Link, the limp form of the hero hitting the ground once again, Link laid motionless on the unforgiving stone. Ganon lumbered back to the temple, he was too big to fit and stuck his bulking arm in through the doors trying to reach Chirin snarling in his speechless fury.

The Door of Time began to open and Chirin walked the steps and entered the grand doors. Chirin saw before him the Master sword lit by a light that poured in from the window, a light that shined despite the darkness of night outside. A small voice called to him from where the sword rest "Link! …No. You cant be, he'd be all grown up." a small blue ball of light flew up to Chirin who spoke "…are you Navi?" the little fairy came closer "Yes!…do you know Link?" Chirin answered "He's my father! And that thing, that thing out there! My father!" he said tears in his eyes pointing where the battle had been lost and won, not able to bring himself to say more about the trauma he had just witnessed.

Navi looked through the doors and dashed to Link's side squeezing past the huge beast whose full attention was focused on trying to rip apart the stone walls around the temple door.  
Navi was able to call upon a healing fairy, a pink sister of her race and as the fairy's powers began to work Link regained consciousness …however his wounds for some reason refused to fully heal, the Pink fairy's healing abilities hardly helped...

Zelda and Impa arrived on the scene having been altered by the guards in the market who could see Ganon's form towering from behind the trees. As Zelda approached the Triforce symbol on her hand began to glow, as did the marks held by Ganon and Link, the 3 pieces, now reunited, resonated with each other, the glow grew stronger as each of the holders of the sacred relic were halted in their tracks a force seeming to bind them.

Another flush of emotion pulled at Chirin and his attention was brought back to the sword, he gazed upon it, that tug at his heart was still there. He put his hands around the hilt and the sword easily slid from the pedestal. Chirin was engulfed into a pillar of light which carried him through the window above, the window in the chamber of the sacred sword which seemed to emit and eternal golden glow.

Link watched in dismay as his son disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7 Children of Destiny

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 7: Children of Destiny

Chirin found himself in a glowing room, not a thing was around him, an endless world of white. A distant echoing voice, a soft and strong female voice spoke "The sacred realm, the mirror of the heart. What shall be reflected from within…." the voice was joined by another and then another as they whispered this phrase.

Outside the temple the glow of the Triforce of Wisdom, the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Power grew stronger till a blinding light engulfed them all and then suddenly, nothing…

Zelda looked at her hand, the symbol was gone.

Chirin heard a sound like a small glass chime, he turned around and there suspended in this vast emptiness, the golden Triforce. Chirin did not even know the significance of the item that laid before him, all he knew is this symbol adorned his kingdom and it was of great importance to his mother and father.

The boy did not know what this item was or what it meant, what he did know was that his soul longed to have it.

Chirin put out his hand.

"The boy with the balanced heart, mind and soul. The boy who can hold each part of the Triforce for Wisdom, nor Courage, nor Power overshadow each other, each and Equal…What shall be reflected from within…?"

Chirin touched the golden relic.

A wind surrounded the boy as Chirin was carried upwards, he closed his eyes as an odd sensation cloaked him, and when the boy opened his eyes he found that the entire Triforce glowed on the back of his hand.

The voices sounded "Purity is reflect from within. The holder reflects the one before him in heart, in mind and in soul. Let him also reflect the one who came before him in body and form for that is what destiny wishes…"

Chirin gasped as a chill filled the air, a flurry of snow began to circle him as Chirin's hair turned silver his eyes clear crystal blue, red marks etched into his face and wings sprouted gracefully from his shoulders. He was returned to his feet and he stared at the white feathers, wings like his father had somehow obtained. When he looked up from his pearly wings Chirin found he was not alone.

The Three Golden Goddesses towered before him one glowed with an aurora of blue, one green, one red. They all spoke at once "Son of the hero if time, child of the children of destiny, rightful holder of the Triforce. The world shall reflect what is within thou's heart." with a white flash Chirin found himself back where the master sword once stood but now the room had become a gateway to paradise and sword was now resting Chirin's arms.

Chirin still remained in this new winged form, the form of the first holder of the Triforce.

Chirin walked out to the top of the steps of the Temple of Time.  
The battle had gone on without him, a storm ravaged the air with a fearsome power. Link had been helped by the healing abilities of a pink fairy called forth by Navi. The fairy had brought the wounded hero out of his unconsciousness...but the fairy was unable to completely heal him for the damage was shared by two forms.

Link had regained the Tenshioni form, the torn wing had recovered with the energy that the Tenshioni drained from Link's Hylian body. His other wounds had also seemed to heal but his recovery was only on the surface for the wounds still remained as part of his Hylian core. Taking on the Tenshioni form while wounded was a price he would have to pay later.

Chirin could see his father was still wrought with pain having taken on the Tenshioni form when not fully recovered.  
Ganon was caught in the grips of Link's third light spell and he could see his mother ready for battle alongside Impa.

Link turned to see the winged form at the steps of the Temple of Time and was shocked to realize just what he was seeing. Chirin stood there and watched as Zelda used her power as the leader of the sages to hold Ganon in the grips of a pure and powerful light spell.

Chirin calmly and confidently moved forward, down the steps, across the field, leaves swirling around him caught in the wind of the power his new body radiated. The boy silently gave Link the Master Sword not taking his eyes off the Beast of Ganon.

Link took the Master Sword, the sword blessed by the Goddesses. He gazed in wonderment down at his son who stood unflinching at his side in this gale force wind, the tips of their wings touching as father and son stood side by side in the face of evil.

Lightning struck the ground as the storm festered in the air, the storm brought forth by Ganon's foul presence raged on around them. Link grasped the Hilt with both hands and with a dark determination on his marked Tenshioni face brought forth the finishing blow striking Ganon across the face and then thrusting it into the gem that adorned the Beast's forehead. The body of Ganon collapsed twitching in the field that was splattered with the blood of the Beast and the Hero.

Before Zelda could call upon the sages to once again seal Ganon into another realm the symbol of the medallion of Wind began to glow on Link's hand and the ghostly form of Kaepora appeared. "No" He spoke as Zelda stared in puzzlement at the apparition before her "Let the child use his new power…he is stronger than all of the sages combined…"

Chirin looked at Kaepora with wonderment at this other winged figure, the same mysterious form he and his father have taken. Chirin's eyes met the warm gaze of Kaepora "Don't worry young Prince, you are the holder of the Triforce, you know what to do." Zelda, Link and Impa's eyes grew wide with these words as they looked upon the boy's now explained new form.

Chirin lowered his head and wrapped his wings around him. A light began to grow behind the wings, its sheen piercing through the gaps of the plumage, as the boy unfurled the pearly feathers a brilliant light shot forth from within them.

Ganon screeched and screamed and roared as the light surrounded him, the light which held all the power of three goddesses. Ganon stood and thrashed about as if to fight the power that ensnared him, the beast's motions began to slow as flesh turned to stone. The light became intense and blinding and with one last burst of intensity the glow disappeared. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness of night they could see the huge bulking form of Beast Ganon frozen in fearsome motion, now solid stone.

Zelda rushed past the stone cold Ganon and to her son's side. She fussed disconcertedly over his silvery hair and wings his face in her hands and then she hugged him close as the boy cried with the relief of being back in his mother's arms. Kaepora still in a ghostly form watched as Chirin's wings faded and his eyes and hair returned to normal.

"So the legend is true, the first holder of the Triforce was one of my ancestors, a Tenshioni." Upon hearing the Wind Sage's voice Chirin looked up from his mother's embrace and stared at the figure before him, yet another being woth wings. Before Chirin could ask what he had just done to Ganon and how, and before he could question who this ghostly figure was, Zelda spoke "You are saying that this is not the first time the Triforce has been held by mortal hands?" Kaepora nodded and began to tell the tale.

"Your history has retained the story of how the Triforce came to be and its connection to the sacred realm, but your history seems to lack the knowledge of when the Triforce was touched by mortal hands, I guess that is because the results of peace and paradise were far more subtle than what happened when Gannon touched the Triforce and shattered it to the three pieces.

My people speak of what was, to you, a horrid winter, but to us the intense cold that enveloped the world was like a key that unlocked the door to lands we had never before seen. That year the cold stretched so wide that even the desert became passable  
Before this time no other race knew of the existence of the Tenshioni. That changed as we ascended upon the new kingdom of Hyrule, the castle and town freshly built.

Our history speaks of how the Tenshioni, Sheikah and Hylian, the three races who shared the long ears of the fairy folk, all seemed to inherently know the origins of our world. It seemed as if the three similar races of this world and of others were each blessed with the knowledge of the Three Goddesses. "

Kaepora sighed, "Our history speaks so much of the world outside our own and yet your history seems to have forgotten us, but we never had forgotten you." "My people did not forget." Impa stated flatly her voice holding no hurt or kindness, Kaepora turned to her and grinned "Yes the Sheikah, such a unique and exceptional race…it pains me to know that you are the last." Kaepora said his smile weakening, closing his eyes and turning away before opening them again "And to know that the Sheikah's selfless desire to protect others drove your tribe to protect my people, and as a result the seeds were planted for the disappearance of a noble race, and for that I am sorry." he said solemnly, Impa was taken aback by his kind words.

Chirin spoke up "But what about the Triforce?"  
"No one recalls ever building the Temple of Time, it is as if it has forever been there, it was the location of the temple that prompted the building of the castle and town around it. But at this time the keys to the Sacred Realm were not in place, there was no need for the doors were sealed and could not be opened…but that was not the case with the grand window above.

The boy, our Prince, not much older than you Prince of Hyrule, found this by chance. With the curiosity inherent of a child he entered and saw the Triforce which at the time lay unprotected in the chamber where the Master Sword now acts as a key… and touched it. The world became a paradise and our history tells that this paradise lasted as long as our Prince lived.

It is said that with his passing the era of paradise ended and with his death came the keys to the Sacred Realm, the great races wanted to honor his memory and ensure that only one like the Prince of the Tenshioni would be able to claim the golden relic that the kindhearted being once held.  
Each race of this world played a part in the creation of the keys. The Spiritual Stones were crafted by the three who reflected the elements of the land; Earth… the Kokiri Emerald, Water… the Zora Sapphire, and Fire… the Gorons Ruby. The Master Sword was the work of the Tenshioni, the Ocarina crafted by the Sheikah, the grand doors were the work of the Guredo, and the song to open them was created by the Hylian. Each item became blessed by the Goddesses as they accepted these new conditions to the entry of the Sacred Realm where the Triforce laid unclaimed."

Kaepora closed his eyes, "Long have I watched the world and learned the world's history and watched as history unfolded. It seems this important piece of history that my people hold so dear was lost to the land outside our mountains and at times I wondered if anyone but the Tenshioni knew that the Triforce had been obtained by mortal hands. But as I traveled trapped in the body of the owl I noticed many symbols of the Triforce held by wings throughout the land, and so it seems that at least one shred of memory survived the test of time in this world."

The sage turned to the Sheikah and royal family "I know there is truth behind what I have just told you, for I am the ancient sage of Wind and my people have a deep connection with the magic of this world. Unbeknownst to the Fire Demon the owl form he cursed me with was also a blessing for I became even more in tuned with the magic of the land and was even able to hear the whispers of the Goddesses. It was the magic of this world that told me of how fate would unfold, it told me how to find the one person who would be able to hear my voice, you, Child of Time." He said turning to Link.

Zelda spoke "You are the eighth sage...Darunia, Saria, Impa, Nabooru, Ruto, Rauru, and myself...together we thought we were whole, but all along we were missing you..." her voice trailed off "That is why Ganon was able to free himself, we were not at our full power, the sages of six temples with I as the lead sage, we were not enough without you. But why, why did you not tell us? Why did you not help us find your temple to bring you into our circle of sages?" she said sharply her words driven by the hurt she had felt as a result of Gannon's reappearance.

Kaepora closed his eyes "My dear Queen, I was not to be found, unlike the other Sages I did not find my way back to my temple when destiny called for I could not. Trapped in the body of an owl with only Link able to understand my words I was helpless, all I could do was let fate unfold and wait for the Hero to find my true form. I could not help, even if I could communicate I had none of my powers, even now I am powerless, I am only able to speak through Link for he has taken within him the essence of the medallion of Wind in which my true self was sealed." he said with a saddened look.

"You are not powerless" Link spoke "You have guided me in this quest, as a child I relied on your wisdom to guide me and your presence was like that of an old friend as I found you throughout this world. You even followed me into another world and gave to me the Song of Soaring and thus granted me the speed of travel I was in great need of in the test of time I lived through there. And without you I would not have my wings." Link's words returned the warm smile to Kaepora's face.

The Wind Sage spoke "I am glad to know the Hero of Legend thinks so highly of me. But now I desperately need your help. It is time to start your next adventure for destiny has yet to be fulfilled. You and your son are the children of destiny and now you have fully awakened into the forms destiny has chosen for you, and together only you can kill the Fire Demon that stripped my land of life…But first" he said looking at Link's tattered and tired form, at the blood that coated him, knowing that the drain of the Tenshioni form would be great this time around. "You need to return to your normal form and rest, as children of destiny you are special but still mortal and mortals have their limits."

Link nodded and dispelled the Tenshioni form not expecting what would happen. Link did not know just how much the drain would be on him having taken on the winged form when his Hylian body was still so weak. As the wings vanished and his blonde hair and green tunic returned Link gasped with shock and pain. The hero while still on his feet went unconscious. His body collapsed and tumbled backwards, Zelda barely catching him before he hit the ground. Link was sprawled out gently upon her stained and tattered pink dress his head resting softly in her lap, hands limp at his sides. Navi floated down and rested in Link's cupped hand, happy to be back with him, but sad to be reunited at such a harsh time.

Zelda brushed the hair away from his eyes, her face adorned with a somber but heartfelt smile as she looked upon the weak and weary face of the Hero of Time, the calm face of the King, the face of the father of her child…father of the mortal who could hold the Triforce.


	8. Chapter 8 A Time for Change

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 8: A Time for Change.

Link slowly came to, he opened his eyes to find himself on his back wearing crisp white clothes under fluffy bed sheets, his long hair free of his hat and braid, his golden locks laid spread out across the pillow, Navi nestled in the golden strands asleep. He was safe in bed back in his palace surrounded by his family, Chirin asleep alongside him in the huge ornate bed. The soft light of early morning shone through the window and gleamed through the sheer white curtains that hung from the bed posts.

Link's chest was wrapped tight in bandages to hold his cracked ribs in place, his arm mended where the impact of Ganon sending Link skidding across the stone covered ground tore the metal of the Tenshioni gauntlet causing it to cut into him as a result. The deep cut on his face that he received from Dark was being held closed with strips of glue soaked cloth.

Link's injuries were not severe compared to what he has dealt with before, but the drain on his life force was. The long sustained form of the Tenshioni and the magic he had wielded that day took quite a toll on his mortal form.

"How long was I out." Link said flatly not moving "For more than a day." Zelda said moving to sit beside him. "Not surprising considering all you have been through on top of not sleeping for nearly two days during the whole ordeal." she said, gently taking his hand into hers, relief finally filling her face upon hearing his voice for the first time in what seemed like so long. "Heh, not sleeping for days at a time, I used to live like that you know." He said looking at her with a boyish grin.

Navi awoke and hovered within Link's view, Link stretched out his other hand and Navi snuggled into it like a puppy who had just found it's way home, the warmth of his hand lulled her to sleep once more.

Link glanced over at Chirin who slept soundly on the bed beside him under a stolen pillow and a brown blanket. Zelda smiled, Link cared about his son more than anything, daresay more than her. Chirin had brought about a wonderful change in Link and she felt that the fulfillment of his wish for a large family would truly set him at peace with the world. They had planned on having more children...but right now...Zelda was glad they had only one child to kidnap. Had more than one life been on the line...

Zelda sighed "He has been worried sick about you, he refused to leave your side so I let him stay here. He was up all night, only a little while ago did I come in to find he had fallen asleep beside you." She said looking over at her child with the worried look of a mother

"So much has happened to him in the last few days, he has experienced so much fear and turmoil and yet also so much wonderment…he has been dealt such a blessing and such a nightmare in such a short amount of time…and for him to become the holder of the Triforce…" Zelda said her face full of distress  
"Oh Link. what is to become of our child…" her voice trailed off in a worried tone her eyes shimmering threatening to burst with tears, Link gripped her hand, not saying a word, his smile was all the reassurance the Queen Zelda needed.

Link tired to sit up but then thought against. He was eager to get going, but his body would not let him. Releasing Zelda's hand and with a heavy groan the weary hero rolled over onto his side to go back to sleep, head snuggled deep in the pillows, his arm draped over his sleeping son with Navi still nestled in his gentle hand.

Zelda went back to her study and sat alone in the darkness.  
She had grown complacent in a time a peace and was by no means prepared for the turmoil she has just endured, but at the same time she was thankful that this time it only affected her family and not all of her kingdom.

Kaepora had said Chirin must join Link on his journey, that destiny chose to let them both take on the form of the winged race and so it must mean that together they can triumph where the true Tenshioni could not.  
But she had just nearly lost her son and the idea of him joining Link on a quest similar to the ones that nearly claimed Link's life time and time again made her sick with worry, the fact that Chirin was so young worried her even more so.

Zelda put her head in her arms and stared at the single candle watching the flame flicker. She let her mind wander to memories she had not allowed herself to dwell upon for so long. These memories before now played no importance in her new life and they only brought back the sense of hardship she once faced… and so Zelda had pushed them to the back of her thoughts… until now.

Her son was about to face a great danger but she herself had endured much as a child.

For seven years she fled the Dark King, protected and raised by Impa, the last of the Sheikah. In that time she was no longer a princess, she had become a hunted refugee.

Without Impa she would have surely died, even if she had escaped from the castle on her own. Without Impa in her life, without this single source of support left in her life, Zelda would have surly perished.

Under Impa's guidance she grew in skill both physically and mentally, honing her magic in hopes that she could rise above Ganon's power.  
In the end Zelda became incredibly strong mentally and spiritually, her strength in these areas surpassed Link's courage and physical strength and in the long her abilities matter more for it was her strong spirit that healed Link's weary soul.

As strong as Zelda had become she was still unable to match the physical skills of Impa, she lacked the inherent physical form of a hero, the likes of which Link and Impa were born with.  
She wanted to be stronger but found herself trapped in a boy bred of royalty not warriors.

Worse still Impa grew more and more worried for Zelda's survival as time went by. Ganon's reach was growing along with his power, soon his evil would reach into every corner of the world and no disguise of clothing or use of magic was strong enough to keep Zelda hidden from his all knowing grip on the land. Anything Impa could do to try and hide the princess would be easily unveiled by Ganon's new power…except for one last unique method of disguise, a method and and item born of another land.  
This is an item that contains the shadow of soul, when worn it transforms one's body and cloaks one's aura. The wearer takes on the outward appearance and aura of the one whose soul was heald in the process of creating said item.

Zelda shot up from the chair, a new determination on her face.

Zelda had made up her mind, if her son was bound to this journey then she was not going to let him go without her. It had been a long time since she had taken on the form she used in order to hide from Gannon in the future that almost was, but she was not concerned for the skills and abilities that were bound to that form were eternal.

Zelda would have to approach Impa for the item she sought and ask if she could call upon its power once more. She knew this item was dear to Impa's heart and that it was one of the last shreds of her past and people that still remained.

She hated to ask but the memory of what happened when she was captured by Gannon in the future that almost was still haunted her.  
Zelda is incredibly strong in mind and spirit and her magic is inherently powerful hence her spot as the leader, as the seventh, well now eighth sage. But she lacked the predestined physical form of a hero that the likes of Link and Impa were blessed with, but with this item Zelda was able to fix her one shortcoming and in the new form she took Zelda became the perfect warrior.

Zelda knew she could rely on this item's power and knew that with it she could be of much help to her hero and child.  
And through this act she can also atone for her regrets, she very much wished she could have helped Link more in the future that almost was, that she could have gone with him and fought side by side. But with Ganon's watch over Link so intense she could only appear to help the hero ever so briefly…

And so she made the request of Impa to please once again loan her this precious artifact, the item Impa's family brought back with them after the fall of Sheikah clan that once lived in a place called Ikana Canyon in a world known as Termia...The mask that retained the essence of the fallen Hero of the Sheikah.


	9. Chapter 9 Shadow of a Sheikah

art for this chapter http: / / lilleah west . deviant art . com / art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Recovering-195472935

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 9: Shadow of a Sheikah

Hours later Zelda and Impa came into the sleeping quarters, Zelda grinned as she silently entered. They found Chirin and Link awake sitting in the bed having a bit of an indoor picnic with various jams and toast that Chirin had happily retrieved when Link awoke. Empty trays and half eaten fruit were strewn about. Link's long hair was a mess as it draped over his shoulders poking out from his hat, and there was a purple jam stain on his once clean night shirt. Chirin was giggling at Navi's antics, the fairy gleefully entertaining the child with her massive strength flying around with a pear twice her size. Navi was feeling right at home since normally a fairy is forever bound with a Kokiri, an eternal child of the forest.

Zelda cleared her throat, the three stopped playing and looked up Navi dropping the pear on Chirin's head "Opps, sorry."  
Chirin and Link's faces both had the same childish questioning look with big round eyes, Zelda was caught off guard and she stifled the giggle and then recomposed herself.

"Link I am going with you." she said in a serious tone "No your not." link said with a flat tone his face still holding the same expression as before "Yes I am." she said motioning to Impa, Link blinked "Wait a minute is that…" Zelda cut him off "Look familiar?" she said holding the mask.

"So that is how you did it." "Did what?" Chirin said looking at his dad and then back at his mother "There was a time when your mother here confused the crap out of me." Zelda crunched up her face with eyes wide in a comical expression of shock at how Link worded his response "I had no idea it was her the whole time especially since every one including Navi was saying 'he', in fact I am pretty sure she was not even a sh-" Impa cleared her throat loudly cutting Link off for she feared the Queen may erupt in rage and embarrassment any moment, Link saw the look on Zelda's flush face and coughed coyly. "Awwwkwaaad…" said the fairy as she drifted towards the window shyly for she to be honest shared Link's thoughts on the matter and wanted to know just as badly as he did.

Seeing Chirin's dreadfully confused face Link continued "That man with the red hair who took you." Chirin nodded "Tried to take your mother as well when she was not much older than you are. That man took over the world and I was powerless to stop it at the time. Your mother had to stay hidden and when she found me years later when I was a young man her disguise was so good that even when speaking face to face Navi and I had no idea it was her." "Wow…" Chirin said looking at his mother "I wanna see!"

Link looked at Impa his expression now serious "Is this mask what I think it is." Impa nodded "It was born out of the land of Termia, just like the masks you have." Link furrowed a brow "Then its effects are the same." Impa nodded and Zelda grimaced as she realized what Link was saying and her memory became refreshed on the matter.

"Chirin, it is going to hurt your mom to change form, it only hurts for a little while but it kind of hurts a lot." Chirin gulped "Then never mind then dad!" he said wide eyed hugging Link's arm. Zelda sighed "Actually, well if I am going to go with you I am going to have to put this on anyway, might as well do it now. I wore it for years at a time hiding from Gannon, staying in this form starting from now won't hurt, if anything it will give me a few extra days to get used to it again." Zelda held up the mask and Chirin clenched his father's arm.

As the mask went on it instantly became bound to flesh, and Zelda buckled over in pain with a gasp, Link flinched with empathy remembering how much the masks hurt to use but then only flinched harder remembering how painful his last transformation was when the angel was returned to the demon completing the masks true Tenshioni form.  
Chirin watched unable to take his eyes off the whole ordeal as he clenched his father's arm tightly.  
Zelda wrapped her arms around herself and lurched upward with a scream of pain as she reached the threshold of the transformation, her flesh and entire outward appearance shifting and her soul assimilating into the form of a Sheikah.

Chirin gasped, he knew his mother was going to change but not this much. Gone was the fair frame and skin, light straw colored hair, blue eyes and her soft pink dress. What stood before Chirin was a toned athletic body, bronze skin, hair the dark golden orange of dandelions, and a skintight blue outfit with a sash that bore the Sheikah symbol, a ruffled collar obscuring the lower half of the face which stood with eyes closed.

Zelda spoke, the voice was both her own and yet also distinctly different "Link in this form please call me Sheik, it is the name of the soul from which this mask came and I choose to honor this memory by keeping the name alive in this form, but Chirin" Sheik said eyes opening "you can still call me mom." Chirin's eyes met the distinct red gaze of a Sheikah.

Link stared for a moment, looking over Sheiks form "Wow, you look exactly the same as you did back then, right down to every detail..." Link scrunched up his face in puzzlement "Man I still can't tell, which are you?" Sheik twitched "SHUT UP!" Sheik yelled throwing a chair pillow at Link and leaving. Chirin was confused on so many levels.  
"Something tells me the next few days are going to be awkward..." Link thought to himself.

Impa cleared her throat, "Come boy, let the King rest. It's time I taught you to use that sword your father gave you." The fair prince hopped off the bed and to Impa's side as she gently led him my the shoulder. Sheik had left the room in a huff over Link's immaturity, as they passed each other in the hall Impa smiled deeply. It made her proud to see Zelda take this form again, her bond with the queen as a child went far beyond just bodyguard and caretaker for Impa had raised the princess in the absence of her real mother. Impa at times felt as if Zelda could be her own child, and in the form of Sheik, a shadow of a Sheikah, it made the connection between them seem all the greater.

Impa was relieved to find that the boy had talent for there was no way he could be taught in such a short time without it "He is so very lucky to be Link's son, I don't think he would have been prepared for this if he was born of anybody else." she thought as she put the small boy, no older than a kindergarten student, through his paces.

Link was for the most part bedridden for three days while his cracked ribs repaired enough for him to move about freely. On the morning of the fourth day Link decided he had enough bed rest and that he wanted to see how his son's lessons were progressing. The boy had always wanted to learn how to use a sword and fight, and well now there was no choice in the matter, he was going to learn whether he likes it or not...and regardless of if Zelda liked it or not.

Link walked down the hall, barefoot and still in his white bed clothes, his long hair still unbraided and messy. He carried with him a pillow and rubbed his eyes sleepily, Navi attempted to untangle his hair as he walked. Link made his way out to the yard where Impa was with Chirin, the same yard where he had met Zelda both in this lifetime and a lifetime ago.

He plopped himself on the ground with no fear of grass stains and propped himself up on the pillow against a tree and watched as the little version of himself learned the way of the sword decked out in the green tunic that Link once wore.

Chirin saw his father in the grass "Can we take a break?" he panted, Impa looked over to Link, who was still clearly not back to his full strength. "Well I suppose, I will go get some arrows while you rest." "Arrows..!" Chirin half whined and half said in shock.

Chirin sat in the grass next to his father, the Kokiri sword in his lap and his small Hylian shield on the ground. Link could sense tension coming from his son, Chirin wanted to go with his father but at the same time the small boy was scared "Dad, how is like to battle monsters and bad guys?" Link responded looking up to the sky his eyes full of nostalgia "I enjoy a good fight, I was born with the will to fight and the talent, and I'm sure the same talent is somewhere inside you too."

Link sighed and returned his eyes to his son his face soft and serious "But I've had my hard days, a few times I barely made it through a temple alive. I want to be able to say I wont let anything happen to you but I just cannot promise that. You have to be strong and trust in yourself, you have to trust you will make it through to the end, at times this train of thought was all that kept me going and kept me alive." Chirin looked ever more worried "You also have to trust in me." He said putting his finger tips under Chirin's chin and lifting his lowered head until the boy's blue eyes met his "And never forget you have the power of the goddesses to help you."

A few more days passed and Link had healed enough to take part in the young prince's training, for only Link knew what it was like to fly.  
Chirin was not happy "Dad, I cant get my wings to come back and I never even got a chance to use them! And I still don't know how I made that magic." with Chirin's words Kaepora's ghostly form appeared much to the shock of both Link and Chirin, Link blurted out "What do you just like live in me now or something?" "More or less so to speak since you now carry the essence of the medallion. My being is not bound to this world or even to this dimension so I tend to drift all over the place sometimes as the owl, sometimes Like this, coming back whenever I hear anything that catches my interest." Link looked at the translucent form of Kaepora questioning just how much privacy he even had anymore

"Little one you must focus to all forth the wings, do so and they will come." he looked upon the boy and smiled wide "Ah yes, I can sense the magic in you. As the holder of the Triforce you can call forth the abilities of all the races, you can survive intense heat and breath underwater if you please without the use of the special tunics your father had to use. You cannot seem to shift shape to a Goron or Zora like he did with the masks obtained in Termia but for some reason the Goddesses have chosen to let you take on the form your father can now take, their actions are part of the fate laid out for you and so you must learn to use the form of the Tenshioni. It is obvious to me that fate means for you both to go against the demon."

Chirin focused hard twisting his face, Link smirked, "Relax… and focus." said the sage, and as Chirin did so the wings appeared shortly followed by silver hair, pale eyes and two red gashes followed by a red dot under each eye and a blue mark similar to his father's Tenshioni form. "There you see? Perfect." Kaepora said hiding a bit of hurt, seeing the child-like form of a Tenshioni painfully reminded him of his children for a moment.

"Since you have obtained the Triforce you should easily be able to become the most powerful magic user of all the land, even now I bet you can perform any magic you wish for you hold the powers of Nayru, Din and Farore….Why Impa." he said catching the aging warrior off guard as she returned with a handful of weapons for Chirin to test out, she nearly dropped them at the sight of Kaepora "Show Chirin Din's fire, lets see if he can do it. "

Chirin was in fact able to master every spell that Link knew. Link dug out his Gilded Sword, the one he obtained in Termia and gave it to Chirin, it was a more proper weapon for what they were about to face.

After a quick flying lesson and another day of training with Link, Impa, and his mother in the form of Sheik, Chirin was ready to head out on his first big adventure that did not involve kidnapping and being tied to a chandelier.


	10. Chapter 10 Dragons

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 10: Dragons

The trio arrived at the Guredo fortress by late morning having left the castle before dawn. They briefly stopped to refresh themselves and their supplies before passing through to the desert.

Link was finally able to fill in Nabooru on all the details both about Ganon and the history behind the medallion her ancestors hid in the Spirit Temple.

"So, it would seem our King is gone for good this time." she said with relief and sorrow, there was a time when she was in love with the Guredo King Gannon…  
Nabooru spied Sheik and was snapped out of her saddened gaze, "Well now here is a face we have not seen here in this timeline." she said "It's a shame only I remember you, the girls found you quite the item in the future that almost was." Sheik's eyes rolled in exasperation and the Sheikah silently got back on the horse, Zelda within once again irritated by the gender confusion that followed the warrior's body. Nabooru giggled remembering the time Sheik spent a night as their captive and then won them over in much the same way Link did in the future that almost was.

The trio continued by horse back to the temple "So...Sheik?" Link questioned "What Nabooru said..." Link went flush knowing that his immature approach on the topic upset Sheik before, "Seriously. Which are you right now." Sheik looked pissed.

The Sheikah's eyes closed and turned away "Impa once told me with a heavy heart that Sheik was a hero to the Sheikah, he was also the Prince of Ikana, being born a prince meant he he was given the same name of his people.  
Sheik sacrificed much to save who he could from the fate that faced his clan in the land of Termia. She said that it was through Sheik's actions that the Sheikah found their way to Hyrule... but in the end the Prince's actions claimed his life...  
With his sacrifice the mask came into being... and Impa's family has cherished it ever since..."

The warrior glared at Link  
"Sheik was a young man... but I as Zelda was born female and for you to even think otherwise of me is not only insulting but it's also infuriating!" the Sheikah snapped "Now lets drop the subject before I push you of your horse" Sheik said as the white mare trotted forward ahead of the group.

"Well... that didn't answer my question..." Link mumbled tapping Epona asking her to move a little faster. Navi was just as frustrated as Link, and Chirin just kept his mouth shut.

The Hero of Time, the Hero of the Sheikah and the new Hero to be reached the Spirit Temple and left horses to roam free by the oasis.

Link set down his sheath, sword and shield before taking on the Tenshioni form, he somehow retained the rest of his items as he changed shape but this time he did not want to rely on the Tenshioni weapon.  
After Link took on his winged form he stowed the double helix blade safely in the Spirit Temple and donned his more familiar gear, with flames involved Link had a feeling he would really need a shield this time.

As Chirin called upon the form of the Tenshioni Link promptly scooped up Zelda in the form of Sheik supporting the Sheikah across the back and under the knees. Sheik was a little disgruntled over having to be carried away in a fashion similar to a maiden in distress but the only way to get there from this point forward was by air.

Father and son took flight soaring over the huge desert colossus, their wings casting bird-like shadows over the female form entwined by a serpent.

Zelda looked down through Sheikah eyes at the dead land below shocked to see a desert more horrible and baron than the one they had just passed through.

As they approached the temple Link gasped in shock, the sandblasted and sun scorched Temple of Wind now lay in complete ruin, smashed into the earth and crumbling to dust.

The group promptly landed, Kaepora's translucent form appeared "Oh I figured as much." he scowled "The demon saw you when you saved your son did it not? It must have figured smashing the temple to bits would be enough to make you turn around and go home. Thankfully the wretch likely does not know you have met me and thus would not expect you to know the real temple lies underground."  
Link watched as the ghostly form took a few steps towards the ruins, the sage stopped and stared. Link could tell that despite not being the true temple the loss of the once grand structure was an emotional blow to the sage.

"Link The fire demon within is very cunning and very powerful, you must be careful. When it first appeared long ago I went along with my warriors to see just what it was, we approached it intending no harm... My five closest warriors were killed instantly, I called for a retreat but two more of my comrades fell before we could get away. We could never manage to get close enough to perform any sort of magic upon the demon and we were helpless."

"The demon continued to seek out and kill the enchanted Giant Wolfose, and without them the demons power easily made the land a dessert. We called upon the loyal ice dragons for they can tolerate even high heat to a certain extent."

"The dragons charged along with my own, Yubreit, (you-bree-it) ready to attack, but the demon fired first and half the dragons perished with one blow. The dragons retreated, though I am not sure where. Only Yubreit stayed behind…but I have no idea where he is now, I was attacked and cursed by the demon before I could do anything for him."

The wind mage shook himself out of his depressive state and spoke with a new intensity "The demon is larger and stronger than ever, Ganon treated it like a pet when he claimed my home as his own secret retreat and it only grew off his power. Your magic is strong but I fear you may need help and physical help is something I cannot give. All I can do now is lead you to a cavern that will take you into the lower depths of the temple, and then you're on your own…"

Kaepora flew a short distance to the north, the trio followed him on foot their bodies heavy laden with weapons and supplies, Chirin wishing there was a magic way to carry everything so as not to have all this stuff strapped to his back and belt.

They arrived at a large obscure crack in the mountain wall "If you see a beam of blue light come from the demons mouth do all you can to avoid it or you may find yourself trapped in the body of owl… or worse, that same magic I saw change me I also saw lay waste to the land… Remember the task ahead is no easy one for the demon of fire is the original embodiment of dark magic."

"I will not be here with you" the sage continued "I am going to be keeping my essence as far away from here as possible from this point forward…I got lucky the last time I met that demon and I dare not test my luck again."

Chirin and the queen in the form of Sheik made their way into the crack in the mountainside. Link was last to follow but was stopped by Kaepora's words "Link, destiny has chosen to give both you and or son a way to take on the form on my people. My people's magic is strong but we were never able to get close enough to the demon to use our magic for even a warm day in your land can harm us…Let us hope that the forms you take are the secret to the creatures downfall….Link." he said his kind eyes held both the look of dread and hope "Good luck." With his last sincere words the ghostly form vanished. Link turned to follow his family into the cave, but stopped as motion caught is eye, the form of a huge brown owl was perched upon the edge of a cliff in the distance.

As they descended into the darkness the air became very cold and a deep grunting noise below reached their ears, they looked at each other and then cautiously entered a large cavern. Even with the specks of light coming in through small cracks it was still very dark and Navi's little blue glow did not help much.

They could make out huge shapes in the dim light, suddenly one of the shapes moved and came towards them giving out a deep rumbling growl, Link and Chirin readied their swords and Sheik a large knife. But suddenly the huge dark form stopped just in front of them and sniffed the air.

The creature became excited and they could tell by the sounds that it was jumping around in the darkness like an excited dog. The creature then ran right past them and out to the opening Chirin ran after it with Sheik and Link hollering at him to wait. The beast had stopped at the entrance and was squinting in the sunlight, it was here at the mouth of the cavern that the warriors got their first look at the creature.

It was a huge animal bigger than a horse but it's build spoke of a riding animal, it's neck was long and slender as was it's tail. The dragon was bluish off-white with deeper blue eyes, large stark white horns and a row of white spikes down it's neck that tapered to nothing as they reached the shoulders. Its skin was smooth and cold to the touch, a strong chill radiated from its body as if the creature was made of ice. The dragon shimmered with iridescent pearl and silver scales, a silver and gold harness was around his chest and large wings were folded at its side, the wing style a combination of bat and bird, the webbing coated with scales that grew larger towards the edges as they shifted into feathers.

Chirin took a step towards it, as the dragon looked at him and snorted like a horse Chirin could make out faded gold letters on the metal plate that adorned the front of the harness that held a riding saddle "Yubreit"…  
Chirin reached out and hesitantly touched its nose, the dragon breathed heavily through its slit like nostrils, its breath was freezing cold making Chirin's fingers numb.

Chirin looked up at the creature and for reasons unexplained to anyone but himself took hold of the harness and swung himself up to the saddle, with the weight of the young Tenshioni on his back Yubreit took off galloping back down into the black tunnel towards the underground temple. Navi had grabbed the end of Chirin's hat as he mounted the great beast and her little glowing light was Sheik and Link's only guide as they followed in near panic after their son.

They all arrived at the underground temple gates Yubreit lowering himself so Chirin could slide down, "That was fun!" he said not even noticing his parents disgruntled faces.

Link walked up to the heavy doors and pulled them open. The room before them was the same as the room Link had been in before when Dark stole Chirin from him, a room with three doors, only this was under ground, and the doors were ginormous. Link walked to the third door, like before a fourth door appeared only this time it was strung with heavy chains bolted with a huge ornate lock that would need the master key. The only door that laid unlocked was the third down and so they went straight through, the dragon stayed behind for he did not see them leave, he was to busy scratching himself.

The room was full of spikes moving across the floor and the ceiling was too low to fly, the moving spikes formed and were part of an ever-changing maze and at the end was the key. Chirin wanted to try this but Link didn't agree. Chirin argued "I am good at mazes and I am smaller so I can fit through a smaller opening." "Link, let him." said Sheik, Link was shocked, the gaze that met his eyes told Link that Sheik trusted the training the boy had gone through.

Chirin dispelled the wings, Link was touched by a hint of envy because unlike Link Chirin felt no effect upon doing so. The boy dashed through the closing entry and began to pick his way through the maze. There was a close call when his boot got caught but the boy swiftly freed himself, however the brief mishap with the boot made the rest of the maze harder for now his timing was off.

Link and Sheik watched with apprehension but also trust, Link not forgetting what he told his son about how trusting himself was the only way he survived his own trials, and Link knew he must put the same trust in his son.

Chirin made it to the end and opened the small chest before him; he got the key and behind the chest, to his relief, he found a switch that made the spikes move below ground.

They left the room Yubreit greeted them and this time joined them as they entered the second room. This one was filled with hundreds of deku babas "Oh come on this is supposed to be a challenge?" Link said as he stepped closer, Sheik spoke "Well if you were new to all this and decided to lop them off one by one I can see how it would be a challenge…but I think we are all a little more experienced than that" Sheik said annoyed with how easy this really was.

"Chirin, step back a bit, and take him with you." Link said as he stared a little annoyed at the spazzy dragon. Link performed Din's Fire, the ball of flames burned through every one of the viscous plants and with their deaths a treasure chest appeared…the only problem was it showed up on a ledge higher than Link could jump and the shaft was narrower than Link or Chirin could fit their wings into, and on top that they could just barely see it showing for the spot the chest had materialized at was extremely narrow.

"Now how I am supposed to even get to that?" Link said his palm upturned in front of him directed towards the chest in an exasperated motion.  
"Just let me deal with this." Sheik said with a sudden leap from the ground, Sheik made the jump in one sweep landing and sliding into the narrow opening with such grace that both Link and Chirin stared awestruck. Sheik laid awkwardly to one side in the gap and reached in to open the chest and retrieve the small key.

The next room was harder for the place was swarming with fire keesee and torch slugs were every where to be found. On top of that the place was surrounded by cooling lava and they knew one misstep would be their doom. Link readied his arrows preparing to pick the small fiery foes off one by one with Navi guiding his aim. Without warning Yubreit got in the way and Link swore under his breath.

But Link watched as the dragon's chest puffed up and his neck grew wider as out blasted small streams water from his mouth which solidified instantly as they meet his freezing breath. More than half the keesee were taken out by this attack, Chirin gasped out an excited "Wow" as he watched an ice shard stab one of flaming bats right in the middle as it screeched and evaporated. Link took care of the rest of the small pests and a treasure chest materialized on the far side of the room…on a outcrop of rocks in the middle of a huge pit of fresh boiling lava.

The group walked towards the edge of the plateau they were on, Chirin stopping with Yubreit when the heat became to much for the dragon. Link was preparing to fly out to retrieve the key but the heat was too great "Link we can't do it." Sheik cried out feeling the pain of the intense heat, skin blistering. They stepped back, Link sorely wishing he had been more prepared "If I just had the Goron's tunic I coul-" Chirin cut him off "Wait, didn't Kaepora say I could use the abilities of the races without the tunics they gave you?" The boy said as he came along side them, Sheik and Link looked upon their child who stood there unaffected by the heat that was growing ever more deadly the longer they stood there. Chirin spread his wings and effortlessly retrieved the key from this third and finial room.

As they left the room they saw the next place to go was on the opposing wall, and was up, way up, about thirty feet or so. Chirin called forth his wings and with Link once again carrying Sheik they flew to the platform. Navi realized something as she looked down at Yubreit "Ut-oh. What about him?" Link looked down "I dunno, Chirin, that shaft is too narrow for him to open his wings, do you think we can some how carry him?" suddenly there was a huge thud as chips of rock and dust came down from the ceiling, Yubreit stood there right in front of them sniffing the lock on the door, his cold breath frosting the metal.

Navi gave out an uneasy laugh shaken by the uncharacteristic ability of such a large animal "Hee he. Heh… I didn't know they were spring loaded."

Link unlocked the door, as they entered they found themselves face to face with seven of the typical nasty, nonenchanted wolfose that plagued the world. This would be Chirin's first battle. Yubreit took on three of them at once, Sheik and Link double teamed on another three, and Chirin took on the last one alone.  
Though he only had to deal with one a wolfose is a hard first opponent.

The dragon howled as it defeated one, Sheik reached behind and grabbed the pouncing wolfose as it aimed for flesh and swung it to the ground with a thud and a yelp, Sheik dove upon the wolf-like creature jabbing the blade into its ribs.

The red eyed warrior turned sharply as Chirin yelped, the wolfose had grabbed his arm, Before Sheik and Link could even react the boy cut into its face making the beast let go as it howled in pain, the child went in for the kill and struck it again before Yubreit interfered and snapped the wolfose from the ground breaking its spine in his frosty jaws.

Within the next few minutes all the wolfose had been dispatched. The dragon seemed unharmed, at first he looked hurt but then they realized it was wolfose blood frozen upon his cold flesh and not his own. Link had been clawed at a few times and generally was just bleeding a little…like, all over. Sheik had a smart gash to the face that bled profusely staining the large ruffled collar. Chirin was bit and his arm bled heavily but the pain itself was not too great. Sheik stopped and unwrapped the ornate bandages from one arm and used them to patch Chirin.  
"Dad…I dunno about you but I am not sure I would call that fun." The child said with shaky confidence.

The bars came up on the door ahead of them and they found themselves in another high room with a platform over head and once again they flew up, Chirin in the lead this time. A skulluta came down hitting Chirin, caught off guard by the attack he fell to the ground landing on his back alongside the dragon with an ump, Sheik still in Link's arms took care of the skulluta precisely casting a sharpened poisoned needle. Chirin flew back up and Yubreit jumped up to join them with a little more difficulty than last time for this platform was higher and in a more narrow shaft.

Link unlocked the door and found a huge bottomless pit before them, the expanse impossible to jump over. Link and Chirin flew across with Sheik and Yubreit paced back and froth readied as he himself to jump, the room was too narrow side to side for the huge beast to fly in and if he fell the shaft below was equally too narrow for Yubreit to catch his fall. The dragon quit pacing and then reared back like a horse, there was little room for a running start and it was a huge span to cross. Yubreit made the plunge barley managing to grab the edge, he kicked and scratched at the wall and pulled the rest of him onto the platform.

Link sighed with relief and used the last key to open the door.

They stood in a large room with a very high ceiling but no platform was to be seen. Paintings, frightening paintings of a winged being with red hair, cruel intense eyes and huge black wings were on the wall all around them. A large opening was in the opposite wall and in the darkness of the next room glowing blue eyes stared back at them.

The owner of the huge blue eyes roared sounding very much like a ice dragon but when it appeared it was no ice dragon, it was bigger and orange with red spikes and had useless wings too small to support its bulk. Chirin was freaking out "Kaepora never told us about a dragon!" he said ducking behind and grabbing Sheik's arm.

"Is that? The fire demon?" Sheik said "No." Navi sounded out as the orange dragon studied the creatures that had disturbed its slumber "It's a fire dragon, I didn't know any were left. They are the great ancestors of the ice dragon. But this guy ain't friendly!"

The fire dragon came closer and sniffed the air while looking at the ice dragon, it seemed puzzled but its confusion only made it madder. The flame colored dragon made a strong sound as it spewed intense flames from the depth of its being.


	11. Chapter 11 Fire and Ice

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 11: Fire and Ice

The group recoiled from the attack. "What do we do?" the Sheikah warrior said "What I always do, attack and a see what happens." Link said taking of running as Sheik stretched out a shocked arm to stop him. Before Link could even get close the huge dragon prepared to spit flames again. Link was glad he had switched out the huge double helix blade for his trusty Master Sword and Hylian shield for the shield was made to withstand the likes of this.

As Link raised the shield he compacted himself behind it as best he could, wings spread straight back. The flames deflected to the sides and the shield glowed with heat but the wood and leather backing protected Link's arm. The force of the attack threatened to snap Link in two as he braced himself against the blow his core screaming as he fought to stay standing. The tunnel of flames split as it hit the shield the blast sliding off to either side barely missing the bulk of his form and scorching the tips of his feathers staining them black.

As the dragon prepared another blow Link rolled behind it and slashed at the dragons tail nearly severing it at the middle. The dragon roared in pain as it wheeled around knocking the hero off his feet a sending him across the gritty stone tile, Link tumbled across the floor and stopped with a crunch. Sheik approached to help but Link cried out "Stay back!" he said his voice holding fear, his hand aimed towards Sheik in a desperate halting motion. The creature was fully prepared to spit fire again.

Link was too close this time with no chance to get out of direct range fast enough, surly he or at least his wings would take the full force of this blow.

Link quickly braced himself for the worst, compacting his body as best he could under the shield, he prepared himself for the agony he would surely suffer as the wings burned. Link readied himself for the drain he would experience from the long sustained Tenshioni form which would surely dispel upon taking so much damage. Link was wrought with angst as he worried and hoped Sheik and Chirin could hold their own without him. Chirin screamed.

As Link closed his eyes and braced himself beneath the shield, his ears were met with a giant thud and a roaring screech, when he opened his eyes the dragon had disappeared from view.

As Link turned to look his face was lit with worry and shock, he saw the bulk of the orange fire beast entwined with that of the smaller soft blue dragon. Yubreit prompted by Chirin's cry of fear and love for his father had put himself in an impossible situation.

The sound that came from the quarreling creatures was unreal.

Like a pair of fighting dogs the dragons thrashed around the room crashing into the walls, the rocks crumbling as their massive bodies struck, their claws dung into the stone floor and into each other, kicking each others underbellies while at the same time trying to bite into each others throats. Steam hissed in the air as the cold radiating from the flesh of the ice dragon met the heat that was given off by the flesh of the fire dragon.

"Dad do something!" Chirin screamed, the boy had only known the dragon for a short time but it was clear to Link that the creature and Chirin already shared a unique bond, and Link did not want to see his son deal with anymore emotional turmoil.  
"Then help me." he said his sharp eyes reaching out to his son, Chirin looked on in shock "If you want to save him then help me." Chirin's face grew calmer and more serious "Mom" "I'm right behind you." Said Sheik removing the chain and hook that was bound to the warriors hip.

The group strode head first towards the dragons, they sprinted across the floor which was now smeared in the blood of the dueling beasts. Chirin flew alongside the orange dragon and saw his chance, the boy flew along its neck letting the blade bite into the scales drawing a line of blood as he ascended. The dragon screeched and its gaze found the source of the pain. The boy stopped above the quarreling pair and began firing arrows at the orange dragon's head as it glared in annoyance standing atop the now exhausted blue dragon. The arrows bounced right off the scaled creature, but the plan was not for them to pierce flesh but rather to distract the huge beast.

Sheik swung the chain, with the skills both inherent within the mask and within Zelda herself ensnared the creature around the neck at the base of its head with a single precise toss of the weapon. The chain biting deep into the gash Chirin left as the hook caught turning the chain into the loop of a lasso.

The dragon was not prepared for this and thus yielded to Sheik's tug despite the fact the red eyed being was a mere fraction of its weight and size.

Link knew he had only a moment to act for the dragon would regain its composure and there would be no way for Sheik to hold it in place any longer. Link saw its chest begin to glow, it was preparing to spit flames again.

Trusting his instincts he rammed the sword into its chest where the glow had started. The dragon screamed as thick black smoke blasted from its mouth, Link quickly removed his sword as what looked like lava began to ooze from the wound. The blade and then the hilt became red hot and Link dropped the sword as he recoiled his hand grasping it in pain. The dragon faltered and caught itself, lava dripping onto the floor. It tried to spit flames again but the attack backfired and it only screamed in pain as flames pored from both its mouth and the hole in it chest.

Link had hit its fire lung, the creature was mortally wounded but still alive and in control enough to kill them all. The great orange dragon turned away from the winged man and the red eyed warrior, its attention brought back to the smaller cold toned beast where it stood injured alongside Chirin.

The dragon roared as it made its way back across the room. Link dropped the shield and reclaimed his sword from where it fell and dove towards the dragon on his feathered wings. He stopped and landed in front of the beast stabbing the huge form as it was still in full stride. With the momentum of the dragon's stride the sword was flung deep into its chest, hot lava poured from the wound and down the blade almost to Link's hands.

The lava may not have reached his flesh but the hilt of his sword was still clasped tight with both hands when the hilt became red hot, this time burning through his gauntlets. Link let go with a gasp bringing his scorched hands to his body and watched the precious blade hit the ground hot lava still coating half the sword.

The dragon blew an intense hot black cloud of smoke, Link backed off as the dragon toppled over squealing, the lava gushing from the wound. The form of the dragon laid still, the lava cooling, the fearsome creature was dead.

Link signed with relief and fatigue as he let himself drift backwards and sat with a hard thud, his wings spread out with the burnt tips curled up along either side of him. shoulders limp, his body felt tired and heavy.

Link looked over to where he last saw his son alongside the Ice dragon, it was only then that he saw how bad Yubreit was hurt. The kind creature was covered in claw marks, his belly all but torn open, the blood was both freezing to his skin and dripping off his body. Chirin was holding the dragons sleek head in his hands, the beasts eyes were closed with a look of pain and relief on its face as the boy comforted him.

"I think we need to take a break. We will rest here for the night… And continue by day break…" Link said solemnly looking up at the darkening hints of sky he could see through the small holes in the ceiling. Link dispelled the wings, his armored form shifting back to his old green tunic, his hair becoming blonde once again. His form changed and with it a whole new wave of weakness and pain washed over him as the Tenshioni drained the power it needed from his Hylian form, still leaving behind the injuries he had sustained.

"Sheik" Link said, once again heading Zelda's wish to have her new form be referred to as such "Can you keep watch…I think…I think… I am going to pass out." he said letting himself half consciously fall the rest of the way backwards onto the floor, "Sure is nice to not do this alone…" Link whispered closing his eyes with a weak smile growing on the hero's face as his eyes closed.  
Link's weary sleeping face was lit with a soft smile, a smile brought on by his new found appreciation of not having to fulfill this task in the same manor as he did in the past, knowing that this time there was some one to protect and watch over him when he was defenseless.

When Link awoke he found his quiver propped up under his head and his boots, gear and gauntlets had been taken off, but most interesting of all….he smelled food.  
Link sat up with a groan, as he looked around he found Yubreit asleep, the worst of the ice dragon's wounds were bandaged up and frost had formed on the wrappings where the blood had dried. Link smiled with relief at the sight of his family around a small fire eating…that is until a moment later when he realized just what was for dinner

"Oh dear gods you're eating it." Link stated with flat shock "What, Navi said it was edible and we need to eat something to keep our strength up. We were not prepared to stay overnight." Sheik said picking at the meat on a finger bone "Tastes like cucco." the Sheikah said through a mouthful.

Link crumpled his face still sitting where he woke up "Whenever anyone wants you to try something strange they always say it tastes like cucco, according to the world everything tastes like cucco…" Link mumbled "Well I am not going to touch it."  
"It's not that bad, really" said Chirin "...it's just really weird to think about what you are eating." the boy said as he paused and frowned having reminded himself of just what he was chewing on "No way." Link said "I'll fight my way back to the second room and make myself a deku baba salad if I have to." the Sheikah's red eyes stared Link down "Eat it or I'll make you." Sheik said sharply, Link stiffened up and coyly scooted closer to grab a toe that was roasting on the fire. Zelda could be really scary when she wanted to and Link did not want to know just how much more scary she could be while in the form of Sheik.

"Huh….it does taste like cucco…."


	12. Chapter 12 Feathers vs Flames

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 12 Feathers vs. Flames

It was Navi who watched the group as they slept that night, being a fairy she needed less sleep and she could just take her spot back in her favorite bed in the morning, that being nestled in Link's long hair under his long hat.  
Navi was all the sentry duty they needed, her body may be small but boy was her voice loud…and some times quite irritating.

The night went without incident and they awoke decently rested. The faint light of dawn lit the room from above, the eerie images of a black winged figure still lined the walls around them. Chirin stared at them with trepidation "I know" said Link "they bug me too." Sheik stepped forward "I hate to say it." said Sheik, "But they remind me of that shadow creature Gannon made of you…only it's like a dark version of your Tenshioni form" Sheik said looking at the red haired black winged being whose threatening form dominated the cracked and crumbling mural on the walls "Yeah that is what I was thinking." Link said, but what he really thought, was that it looked more like Chirin.

Link put his hand on the floor to help shove himself off the gritty tile but as he did so he winced and his rear fell back to the floor. His hands were still badly scorched in this form just as they were when he was wounded as a Tenshioni, the Tenshioni form would heal as it laid slumbering within him but injuries sustained while in that form remained on his Hylian body.

Sheik looked upon the weary hero worried "Are you going to change back? Do you even have to? That form hurts you so much after you use it. And the last time you became Tenshioni while your Hylian body was hurt the results were dreadful." "I will recall my wings in a moment." Link said with calm determination pulling himself off the floor. "Kaepora said it was fate that chose to allow both me and our child to take on the form of the people this demon destroyed. Only, we are able to get close to it, unlike them, for our forms do not come with the curse of cold his people have. I think us both attacking as Tenshioni is how we will win."

Link walked over to where his sword had fallen, blade first into the ground, the lava had dried and was solid black. Link grimaced at the sight of the sacred blade in such a state. "I tried to get it out." said Sheik, the Hero of Time did not look away from the blade "It is not your sword so it would not let you. I have to" Link said "and in the form it recognizes." he said grasping the sword with his burned and ravaged hands forcing himself not to flinch from the pain. He pulled the sword from the ground the hard lava cracking off.

Link took on the Tenshioni form, his burned hands and wounds healed at a cost he would pay later when the form was dispelled again. Link signaled for the rest to follow and they made there way into the room the fire dragon came out of. Yubreit bounded after Chirin nudging him nearly knocking the boy down as the child recoiled from the sudden unexpected chill that touched him when the dragon's nose made contact. The dragon had all but fully healed overnight, their breed can heal immensely quick as long as their injuries do not go past a point of no return.

In the dark room that the fire dragon had come out of was a blue and gold treasure chest, the one which held the master key. As the room went back it became pitch black. They followed the wall of this dark room, using the feel of the stone to guide them, taking each step carefully should a trap await below their feet. Navi was asleep in Link's hat, he did not want to wake his dear little friend just so they could follow her glow.

At the end of the passage they found that this time they would have to go down, far down. A huge shaft laid before them "I can take care of myself this time thank you very much." Sheik said, Link gasping as they red eyed being jumped. With the skills only a Sheikah can master Sheik landed unhurt on the ground far below, the landing pose low to the ground hands and feet touching the earth resembling an animal about to strike. Sheik got up and looked around "It's safe down here, for now at least!" Sheik hollered up the huge shaft.

Without warning Yubreit jumped, Sheik's eyes grew wide at the sight of the huge animal careening towards the earth and the Sheikah scrambled to get out of the way. But the dragon did not freefall to the floor, the shaft was wide enough for its wings which the group saw unfurl for the first time, they shimmered like fresh snow, the unique mix of bat and bird with. The wing's arms and fingers were coated in small scales that got larger up top the webbing with their size and shape shifting to form huge feathers, the underside was sleek and smooth like a bat, truly fascinating to behold.

The dragon landed with the grace and poise of a creature much smaller and daintier than itself. "I will admit that was impressive." Link thought to himself, all Sheik could think was "I will admit that scared the crap outta me."

Link landed on the ground and Chirin landed square in the center of the dragon's back on the broad saddle. Chirin's Tenshioni form, though immune to heat still welcomed the sensation of sharp cold that radiated from the Ice dragon. Yubreit turned his head and the pair looked at each other gleefully. Link smiled for a moment, but the grin faded. They were not finished with this place yet and hopefully it would not finish them first.

Beyond the deep shaft was a long dark tunnel, Link considered waking Navi this time to guide them, the little fairy was still sound asleep in Link's hat nested in his dark golden hair. However the dragon seemed to know where it was going so Sheik and Link followed by sound on foot, Chirin still sat in the saddle.

They found themselves back in the room with four doors, they unknowingly had somehow ended up back in the same tunnel from whence they first came.

The fourth door still laid heavily chained, at the center the huge lock. Link inserted the key, a rush of foreboding nostalgia filling him as the familiar click of the latch made his hair on end. So many times has he done this that his very nature had adapted an instinctual reaction to unlocking a door the likes of this for what laid behind had each time nearly claimed his very life.  
The sound was also so very familiar to the fairy who had joined him on these quests that the noise startled her from sleep and she swiftly untangled herself from her little nest in Link's hair and promptly took her spot at the hero's side.

As the heavy lock hit the floor Yubreit began to growl, the air was so thick with tension that Chirin very much wanted to embrace his mother for protection. But it was the form of Sheik that stood beside him, the form of a warrior, a form that reminded Chirin he needed to be strong and the young hero rekindled his courage.

As the door swung open Link saw…nothing, it was another elevator shaft like before only this one, like the doors, was huge.  
Link was incredibly apprehensive about this, but what choice did they have but to trust that just entering this huge metal box was not in of itself a death trap? The group got in, a bit of a tight fit with so many feathers and a dragon, Sheik shivered as the cold from the dragon's skin chilled the air… and the box began going up.

"Brace yourself…. we may have no warning when we reach the top."

The creature knew they were coming. It may look like an animal and speak no words but its mind was shaper than that of Ganon, and the evil this creature held was by far more ancient than what Ganon wielded.

The heroes stood at the foot of its chambers, their forms hidden in shadow. The demon sat on a huge stone throne like structure, a throne large enough to seat a whale, a throne that once belonged to the giant wolfose for whom this chamber was made.

Its paw like limbs lay folded, cruel white claws at the tips of its toes. Its form like that of a wolf lit ablaze, no ears could be seen in the rippling flames of the inferno, the shape of a tail flicked slowly up and down on this huge which appeared to be made of roaring flames. Its red eyes mocked them.

As Chirin and Link stepped forward the Demon stood up, its eyes grew wide and wild with shock and anger staring at the gleaming white feathers of their wings.

The Demon's eyes became that of a creature insane with rage.

The group scattered as the demon lunged, Sheik whisking away the winged Chirin to one side, Link and the dragon retreated to the other, a claw grazing past Link tearing a hole in his the chest plate of his armor and drawing blood.

The demon grew wild again staring at one set of wings and then the next deciding which to strike first. Link could see the demon's fit of range was focused on their Tenshioni forms.

The demon lunged for Chirin first, Sheik took advantage of the demon's lack of focus and used the chain to snare the end of the beast's muzzle the hook biting into the bridge of its wolf like snout. The demon stopped annoyed, the attack did not seem to do much good as the beast easily shredded the chain and bashed Sheik to the wall with one swipe of it's clawed paw.  
The wounded Sheikah painfully got back up of the floor, a torrent of blood streaming past equally red eyes and staining the sash that bore the clan's symbol.

The Sheikah warrior breathed heavily looking at the demon, a conniving grin struck Sheik's face as the warriors red eyes saw what they had hoped to see. The Sheikah's seemingly pointless attack did in fact do much good, for now they knew there was as solid form under that flame, that the demon was made of flesh, for now a small stream of blood dripped from its face and onto to the floor.

The demon glared at the Sheikah but upon seeing no wings it resumed pursuit of the winged child. Link flew past the demon so close to its face that Link's Wings were singed by the heat of the flames. Link began taunting it with his white feathered form keeping the demon's attention away from his son.

Kaepora had said that despite its animal form this creature was more cunning than Gannon himself, so there was a good chance it could understand speech. Link knew he could not verbally relay his plan to the others, he had to trust that their bond would be enough for them to instinctually work together in silence.

The demon bounded after the larger winged being, Link distracting its attention as best he could. Sheik and Chirin struck, not seeing much they could do each hacked off a toe with a swift and strong slice of their weapons. The demon screamed in pain at the severing of the flaming digits and retreated back towards his throne with a huge leap backwards to examine this new sensation for the demon had never really experienced "pain" before. The flame of the severed toes extinguished leaving behind what appeared to be burnt and crumbling stones.  
The toes did not regenerate on the demons form.

"Well now we know it is not invincible" Link thought with new found confidence, Link could see the same light of hope in the faces of Sheik and Chirin.  
The demon looked up from its bleeding injuries and growled, its eyes no longer crazy and wild but rather focused and filled with spite.

The demon lowered its head as it slowly and menacingly crept towards them, jowls quivering with its ceaseless growl.  
It leapt with an unexpected speed that did not belong to a creature so massive. The demon gabbed Chirin in mid air, its clawed paw wrapping cruelly around a pearly wing as Chirin looked on in alarm. Link looked on in panic as the demon landed on the ground with prey in hand, the wing began to grow red in its grasp and the boy screamed. The creature sat up on its hind legs, Chirin's free wing was flapping in a futile effort to break free, the demon reached up with its clawed paw as if it planned to pluck the beating wing clean off the boy's form.

Sheik and Link's faces shone with cold terror as they helplessly raced to the boy's aid.


	13. Chapter 13 Sacrifice

art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest. deviant art .com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Battle-195728178

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 13: Sacrifice

Chirin was helpless in the demon's grasp, Zelda in Sheik's form raced alongside Link on legs carried by fear towards their son not knowing what they could even do to help… but each were prepared to give up their life to save Chirin.

Suddenly the demon screamed and dropped the boy who drifted to the ground on tattered wings.

Yubreit on his unique wings had lifted his bulk from the ground and latched himself to the demon's face, the dragon's entire body only as long as the demon's head. The chill that radiated from the ice dragon's flesh fought with the flames as the demon reared back screaming. The dragon attempted to dig its claws into both the demons eyes at once but could not reach, he instead tried to bite at the demon's eyes but was only able to render one useless before the demon reached up with both hands and ripped the dragon free from its face, claws tearing into Yubreit's flesh and sending the dragon careening through the air as he landed in a crumpled bleeding mass against the wall with a sickening thud.

Chirin's heart was wrought with anxiety at the sight and his wing throbbed with pain, but he had to act and swiftly. The boy quickly regained himself and made a mad dash at the demon trusting that Link and Sheik were doing the same.

The demon was thrashing about pawing at its clawed face and blinded eye. Sheik went for the feet as Chirin and Link went for the face, each landing a sound blow before the demon flared up with a new intensity. Suddenly the flames grew and a hot wind blasted from the demons form, the force of the flames sending them into a retreat as Link and Chirin were blown to the ground.

"Link use an ice attack!" Sheik hollered arms up shielding against heat and sand as the gale force pushed them towards the wall, Link yelled back "I don't know any aside from the arrows!" he said trying to hold is ground not far from the Sheikah "Damn it Link!" said Sheik sharply, casting a strong sidelong gaze at Link not turning away from the demon "You are wearing a spirit mask and through it you should instinctually share the knowledge of the Tenshioni soul. They are an ice race who specialized in magic so you must know at least one ice spell!"

Link paused and focused, head lowered and eyes closed. When he opened them again his eyes had gone from shaken to sharp, returned to his face was the fierce gaze that was cast upon Dark, the same intense eyes the shadowy doppelganger had died under.

Link called from deep within his winged form a new and fearsome spell. Link took to the air and fought the hot gale force wind that poured from the fire demon as it roared. This same burning wind that took the life of any true Tenshioni that came close for their race was cursed by the cold.

Link stopped just out of reach of the Demon's paws to let loose the attack but he had drastically misjudged the huge creatures ability to jump. The fire demon put all its energy into this move, the creature knowing he could catch Link of guard with the unworldly speed it has yet to use.

The Demon pounced at the winged hero and lashed out with one paw, talons tearing through his armor with devastating force. This time its claw bit mortally deep into Link's flesh, the demon's dark energy seeped into Link's blood through the vicious wound. Link gasped and recoiled from the pain and shock, the gale force wind blowing him to the ground. Sheik raced to Link's aid and caught him in an armful of feathers as they both faltered to the floor, Sheik falling backwards with the momentum and weight of the hero.  
Link still supported in Sheik's arms clenched his teeth and with a pain filled growl let loose his attack.

As the cold light struck the hot gale stopped. The demon collapsed to the ground writhing in pain. Part of the flames extinguished leaving behind patches of what looked like black scorched fur which crumbled into the dust as it met the air.

Link watched in awe as the creature laid there breathing heavy, eyes closed. The demon painfully dragged its head along the floor to look upon the hero with its face laying sideways on the ground. The demon opened its eyes and started at the Hero of Time with an arrogant snarl that chilled Link to the very core, its expression was not what he was expecting to see. The creature's face was lit with a devious and toothy grin as it started into his very soul with its one good eye.

Suddenly the demon lifted and turned its head away from Link as a blast of blue light left its mouth between foul teeth "No!" Link cried for this was the attack Kaepora warned them about, the pure dark magic that can lay waste to land and life, a magic that can cast a cruel fate upon others. This is the magic that stripped The Land of Snow and left the sage in a tormented immortal form to live an eternity alone and helpless as he watched the giant wolfose and thus the life of his people fade.

Chirin was in the line of fire, the blast too fast and too wide to evade, Link ignored the pain he was in, unaware of the torrent of blood that stemmed from his wounds, the hero moved as fast as he could with his injured body. Link was prepared to take the blow of whatever the demon was about to cast upon his child. Time seemed to slow as the events unfolded before his very eyes, knowing he was not going to make it in time.

The boy cried out in fear, the ice dragon tried to get up but couldn't, Sheik watched helplessly from the ground chest heavy with panic and heartache.

As the dark magic approached the boy he put his hands and wings up as if to shield the attack and clenched his eyes preparing for the worst.

The child began to glow...

The image of the full Triforce on his hand began to radiate a golden aura and a light surrounded Chirin like a shield, the magic of the demon deflected all around him the energy crackling in the air. The demon's eyes grew wide, he knew what this light meant. Still blasting an attack, the demon could not believe what he was seeing, this was the Child chosen by the Goddesses, the one his master foretold of. The child whose existence would unknowingly unleash the one who would bring on the beginning of the end.  
The demon smiled deviously, ready to face its imminent demise.

The instant Link saw that Chirin would be okay his instincts took over, without a word spoken Link tossed the quiver and bow down to Sheik who caught them in one motion and then took off approaching the demon on the blind side that the dragon's sacrifice had provided them.

Sheik fired ice arrows at the huge form as Link let loose another ice attack holding the spell in place as he grimaced in pain, blood seeping through the tear in his armor. The demon's attack on Chirin halted as the flames became further extinguished on it's body. Chirin recovered quickly from the force of the attack that the Goddesses had shielded him from and promptly and instictively performed the same attack as his father.

The demon screamed eyes wide with rage as it thrashed on the floor, its eyes never leaving those of Link and Chirin. It reared on its hind legs toppling backwards with a thud as its form laid twitching on the floor, its entire body black and crumbling…  
as these last acts unfolded an owl watched from the opening to the world above, its heart heavy at the sight of the wounded hero.

Link half landed half fell to the floor in a crumpled mass of blood and feathers, painfully the hero picked himself up enough to at least sit upright, his wings laid heavy and lifeless around him. Chirin flew down to his father's side and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, Link flinched and Chirin let go. Chirin now saw that Link's armor was torn and coated in red, there was a fair sized gash across his chest and it was bleeding profusely. Navi was in a panic not knowing if any of her healing sisters still dwelled in this land and not knowing if Link would survive this without one. Sheik limped over to Link and Chirin, great concern upon the warriors face upon seeing the state Link was in. Sheik stood beside the wounded hero supporting him.

The demon growled once more, the trio looked up to see the demon laying with his massive head on its side upon the ground, its one good eye still glowing red as it stared right at them.

The rumble of its growl changed and much to the three hero's shock the now black crumbling creature spoke with an unsettling arrogance to its deep and haunting voice

"The demon of black feathers will arise, born of a mother dead and mothered by a devil's child." the demon rumbled again with a growling laughter that stayed deep in its throat. "I can die peacefully knowing one day he will come. As the Hero of Time and The Child Chosen by the Goddesses rest in their untimely graves the world shall come to an end at his hands…" The demon said as its face cracked and eyes closed, its form still breathing heavily.

Silence seemed to grow around them, a silence only broken by the sound of labored breath that came from the demon as its soul began to fade.

Link was feeling weaker with each passing moment. Not trusting that the battle was over Zelda remained in the form of Sheik and sat beside Link. With gentle hands Sheik reached out to guide Link's weary body to lay across the Sheikah warrior's lap, one wing spread out fully to the side away from the Sheikah's form, the other folded under Link cradling him in a sea of feathers upon Sheik's lap.  
Sheik supported Link's head in the nook of one arm and removed Link's hat cramming it into the gash in his armor and pressing hard in an attempt to stop the bleeding, Sheiks eyes filled with worry as Link's face tightened in pain.

The silence was broken by the soft rustling of feathers as an owl landed on the floor in front if the demon, its back turned to the heroes. The red eye opened once more "You…." hissed the dying demon with shock and a snarl as its eye meet the sharp and stern gaze of the owl, gone was the arrogance the demon had before "…da...d-damn it all…" the demon's growl faded as the monster began to draw its last breaths.

The owl's eyes closed as if preparing to face a great trial. As the glow in the demon's hateful red eye faded the blackened body cracked and began to crumble. With the demon's dying breath the owl lurched forward and screeched, only Link could hear the gasp of pain hidden in the voice of the bird. Link saw the winged symbol of the Wind medallion at the back of his hand begin to glow. The owl tumbled forward and Link watched as the eyes of the bird that helped him as a child grew into a soft blue and the feathers grew white. The curse of the demon had been lifted with the beasts death and Kaepora was retuning to his mortal coil, the bird that served as an avatar for his lost soul now served as a medium for his true form to return from within the Wind medallion.

With a flash of light and a cry of joy and pain Kaepora returned this world in the form he was born with, he was dressed in white robes and over that wore armor similar to Link's. The sage was down on one knee his shoulders heaving with his labored breath, wings laid heavily to either side. The medallion of Wind on the floor in front of him. With a graceful grimace the sage, the warrior, the king of the Tenshioni stood whilst picking up the medallion, "Why do transformations always have to hurt?" said the former owl, his warm eyes shone with great relief and thanks….but they also shone with great sorrow and worry.

"Chirin" Kaepora said to the boy "I hate to take you away from your father's side considering the state he is in, but I need you to come with me, immediately, I have little time in this form in this heat…" the sage's soft blue eyes meet the red gaze of the Sheikah "Sheik, keep him awake. Link" he said looking to the wounded hero "if your Tenshioni form dispels it may kill you this time…" Kaepora said his brows furrowed with worry. The sage's heart filled with angst as he looked upon the hero that he had watched grow from a small boy…he could see the hero was beyond all help…with the exception of one last drastic choice.

Everyone but Kaepora were unaware of just how dire the hero's situation was, unaware that this wound was unlike any he had sustained before. The demon's dark energy had seeped into Link's blood when it's claw bit so deep into his flesh… this cursed wound would never heal…

Kaepora could see on their faces that they thought Link would survive this brush with death just as he had before time and time again…and for now he would let them think that.

Link watched as the Tenshioni sage and the Tenshioni form of his son left. Sheik, mused over Link's long silver hair intrigued to see he kept his hidden trademark in this form... Link looked up to see Sheik staring down at him and gave the Sheikah a helpless smile. Zelda, guised in the form of Sheik, drew Link closer and gently embraced the wounded hero, Navi tried not to cry.


	14. Chapter 14 Death and Choices

Art for this chapter (do please see it I spent a lot of time on it) http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-WO-Death-and-Choices-198978438

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The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged ones  
Chapter 14: Death and Choices

Chirin found himself in a room decorated in silver, he had walked through some kind of barrier along with Kaepora and they were now in a room that could not be seen from the outside.

Chirin's eyes grew wide as he looked upon what seemed to be a huge block of ice, within was a small handful huge animals, each lay perfectly still in a state of suspended animation.

They did indeed look similar to the nasty creatures of the same name that Chirin had fought merely the day before, but these were huge and slightly different. Gone were the bulky mutated forelimbs with two large awkward claws, in their stead were perfect wolf paws. Their face and heads were more regal than those of a villainous wolfose and Chirin could see their faces were marked like the Tenshioni, each with its own unique design.

The giant wolfose were much bigger than he had imagined, and they were all sealed inside the enchanted block of ice. Chirin walked towards the ice block staring in awe at one which must be at least ten to twelve feet from nose to tail.

Kaepora walked up and put his hand on the ice, the creatures stirred. Chirin could see that they had begun to breath again. One of the beast's eyes opened and it stood up pushing its nose on the ice against Kaepora's hand, its whiskers flared fur standing on end.

"How to we get them out?" Chirin asked, Kaepora pointed to twin sets of locks. "Our feathers will be the keys."  
The sage walked over "It was not I who changed the lock," he said "the magic of the land changed it. It whispered to me that to save my people I must wait and find the boy chosen by the goddesses, that he would become known as the Hero of Time. The boy would live his life and days more than once and that I would remember the extra life and days he lived when others would not. I was told he and his kin would be the ones to save me and my family and that in the end I would need proof of the Goddesses touch upon a mortal of this world."

"And so now there is another lock alongside the one I built. I built this one with its key being proof of my life, and this one," Kaepora said touching the other lock "the magic of this world set in place as a finial trial for my people."

"I always thought Link would be the one standing at my side when this moment came. I never imagined he would father a being with such a kind and balanced heart and that his child would be the one to obtain the Triforce." He put his hand on Chirin's head and they smiled at each other.

Kaepora plucked a large feather with a slight wince, a bead of blood formed at the end of the quill from where it was pulled free of his wing. Chirin did the same.

Chirin took the feather from his wing and put the lightly bleeding tip into the lock, there was click and then a hissing sound.  
The enchanted ice melted away. As the grand wolves emerged the walls around them froze with the intense cold that followed these creatures. The room around them glistened with ice and silver.  
Kaepora put his hand on the nose of the largest creature, the one that greeted him before.

"Follow me, but not too close for not everyone in this temple today can withstand your cold." he told the huge wise beasts with their solid glowing eyes "I must salvage your savior."

They returned to where Link's wounded winged form was resting in the Sheikah's lap. Link's wing and Sheik's clothing had become drenched in red, Sheik's eyes were weak with worry.

Link was very pale, his eyes barely open as he struggled to not to succumb to the weakness and pain that begged his body to sleep…  
The bleeding had not stopped.

"Kaepora…" Sheik said not knowing what more to say, eyes brimming with tears that threatened to fall upon the warriors face whom tears had never touched.

Navi was in Link's hand "Even if I could call upon the help of my fairy sisters" the little glowing being said in a shaky voice "they cannot help him now, last time the healing hardly helped…the way his Hylian and Tenshioni forms are bound resists the power my sisters have…"

Chirin's winged form melted away as he fell to his knees at his father's side, hands on the hero's cold shoulders. The child's pleading eyes looked up at the sage, unable to speak through the torment his soul now faced.

"Link." Kaepora said, the dying hero turned to face him, trying to focus. Kaepora tried to be brief but there was so much that needed to be said, the choice to be made came with consequence.

"Link, the Tenshioni form borrows its power from your Hylian body, fueling itself, and healing itself by draining what it needs from your life force…If you dispel the Tenshioni form you will surely instantly die….  
… You are also not long for this world if you stay in the form you are in…  
but …there is a form you can take that may save you." said the sage, his onlookers confused by how such news could be presented with such foreboding.

"The Tenshioni form is merely tied to your Hylian self right now, but if I merge the Tenshioni with your true form…then you might be saved…But it means you will never be able to change back to who you once were nor take on the form you have now, you will become neither Hylian or Tenshioni…"

"Link, the choice must be made now before the demon's curse becomes too great for my power. The binding of forms is painful both physically and emotionally, it is risky and there is a good chance it will fail.  
The curse of the demon wound ensures that your end will be long and persistent, if you stay in the Tenshioni form you may get at least another hour to be in the arms of your family... if this fails you will die here and now. "

The Wind sage cast his next words sternly, he eyes and voice unwavering as he spoke to the dying hero.  
"Link… if I do this… death will draw you close during the process, if this fails it will take you from this world. If what I am about to do does succeed then you will loose a part of your Hylian self and you shall forever feel this loss… You will have to relearn how to live."

Link's face laid unchanged as he gave his response "Just do it." Link said voice choked with blood as his body seized in pain. Link fought to stay conscious, eyes growing dark, his expression calm in the face of death.

"Sheik, hold him close, Chirin…" he said painfully as he saw the expression on the boy's face "His spirit must endure much if he is to survive, together you need to remind his soul that it has a reason to remain in this world."  
Kaepora lowered his head and closed his eyes "Brace yourself." the sage said, Link cracked an ever so faint smile at the irony of how he felt the last time he heard the sage say those words.

Link's wings began to glow with a cold light, strength slowly began to return to him but with it came a deep rooted pain as the core of his life force began to merge with that of the essence of the Tenshioni. The pain was far greater than the use of a mask and greater still than when the angel was restored to the demon.

Though the two forms were merging Link felt as if he were being torn in half and his soul begged to be free of this pain.

Zelda within the form of Sheik held Link tighter as the hero's body stiffened and writhed with agony, tears streaming down the Sheikah's face for the first time. Chirin's eyes were tightly closed as he held onto his mother cloaked as Sheik, his gentle soul reeling from the intensity of the tormented hero's plight.

Link's armor vanished as it does when he dispels the Tenshioni form, the green tunic was torn and red with the blood of the hero. His hair began to go blonde again and the Oni marks faded slightly on his face. His splendorous wings grew ever so slightly smaller and smaller until they reached about half size. And most importantly of all, the wound began to close, leaving behind a deep scar the color of blood.  
His horrendously scarred body remained as proof of the death he had faced and this mark would forever remain with him.

With one last soft sound of pain the writhing body of the hero fell limp and silent in the arms of the Sheikah warrior… only the gentle rise and fall of his chest showing he had survived the merging of beings.

Sheik reached up and with a precise touch to the side of the face the form of Zelda now rested under Link's broken body. Zelda let the mask of the fallen warrior Sheik land on the floor and held Link's weak unmoving form tight and close, her tears falling to his face. Chirin laid against her side sobbing in relief with little Navi in his cupped hands and Yubreit at his shoulder.

Kaepora smiled a weak and heart heavy smile at the sight of the Queen once again holding her fallen King. Kaepora turned his attention to the dragon's wounds for the small family would need the creature's help to get home. Yubreit nuzzled the sage's hair as the man tended to his wounds, ever so happy to see Kaepora despite the pain the dragon was in.

Kaepora turned to look at the wounded family and his eyes met the questioning gaze of Zelda who still held the unconscious hero. Kaepora knew from the expression in her eyes just what she was asking "He will still be himself, no worries." the sage said "Like when you take on the form of Sheik the alternate soul exists as a guide and never overpowers or influences the person beyond taking over their outward appearance…He will feel a sense of loss, but trust me, his soul is still his and it is still whole."

Kaepora went back to the dragon "I have done my best to help Yubreit heal, my dear friend here should be well enough by daybreak, with his help you can get your family home."

Kaepora turned to the Princess "Link will not be able to move for a few days, likely bedridden for a few weeks, and I doubt he will awaken anytime soon…By all accounts he should not even be breathing…What I have done to save him was drastic and to be honest I am surprised it even worked. He has touched the hand of death and been pulled free again …it will take some time for him to recover in both body and spirit."

"What worries me most" the sage said a few moments later "is how long it will take for his inner being to heal…as I told him before, a Tenshioni is born with a an inner balance that all other beings spend their entire lives struggling to find. You and Link have lived an extra life caught in the web that fate crafted for you, and so you each had found an inner peace that no other Hylian has ever obtained…And now the balance Link had within has been drastically changed.  
All I can do is hope that one day he regains the inner peace he so deserves."

With his last words Kaepora left the room to give the family some time to recover from their ordeal in private. He also wished to tend to the wolfose, to reacquaint himself with the fur covered friends he had not seen in so long.

Darkness descended upon the land as well as on the occupants of the temple in the ground below. Stars shimmered through the hole in the ceiling as a gust of wind brought sand trickling down into the room where the weary warriors were settling in for the night.  
Zelda had prepared a fire as a little shelter of warmth in the cold room. The wolfose stayed in the passage outside of the cavern so as to keep the place just cool enough for Kaepora to not fall ill and warm enough to do the same for the others.

Chirin had fallen asleep in his winged form, unlike Link the boy could hold his transformation even when unconscious. His ability to shift forms being granted to him by the goddesses meant it came without rules or consequences.  
Chirin was laying on his side atop one wing and had wrapped himself with the other, sleeping in a sandwich of soft warm feathers.

Zelda did what she could to make Link comfortable on the floor next to Chirin, mimicking what the boy had done with his wings after taking Link's extra gear off, leaving his boots and gauntlets on this time for it was cold.  
As Zelda stepped back she looked upon her hero and son side by side, her heart sank a little further as she compared their wings…Link's wings were so much smaller now…

The princess sat and watched her sleeping family, she heard Chirin's stomach growl, there was no choice but to go to bed hungry this tonight. What worried her far more than their shared hunger was just how deep a sleep her hero was in. She found herself checking on him constantly for his form was so still and quiet that at times she thought he had died…

Kaepora came back from tending to the wolfose who now slept in a pile of snow.  
"Zelda…?" he said looking to the Princess who was now trying to make herself more comfortable "That mask, that name you used with it…you do know of its history? Correct?"

"Yes" said Zelda as she tenderly picked it up off the floor. "Impa told me. Sheik was a Prince of Ikana and with his status he took on the same name as his people. He was more than just their prince, he was a warrior and their hero. He sacrificed much to change the fate that his people faced in the land of Termia. She told me that it was through his actions that the Sheikah found their way to Hyrule... but in the end he gave up his life...  
As his suffering was healed with the Ocarina that was passed from the Sheikah family to mine, the mask was created, and Impa's family has cherished it ever since…"

Kaepora sighed, his heart aced so much to say these next words aloud. He had left out a very important detail about the Tenshioni mask when he spoke to Link about the winged form he had obtained, afraid it may change their friendship and trouble the Hero of Time.

"The form that Link took, the mask he used…" Kaepora paused as he prepared to say the rest "was also created by healing the soul of a fallen hero and prince…"

"Prince?" Zelda gasped "But… Link told me what you told him about the mask, that it was created from the one you sent, the one who perished during his quest to find the Tenshioni a place to relocate to. But y-you were king at the time…!"

Kaepora sighed and closed his eyes as a tear that he had held back for so long finally fell "…he was my son."

Zelda looked on in shock, Kaepora's sad eyes met hers and he continued.  
"He was somehow born gifted with the ability to survive beyond our land of snow. When the demon came my son wanted to fight but I did not see how he could survive alone against such a foe. I sent him on a far more important task, I sent him away to find help and new home for our people. I knew nothing of his fate until I followed Link to Termia. The voices of the lingering souls of the land of Hyrule and Termia together weaved for me a tale for that gripped at my heart."

"My son had met Sheik shortly after the Sheikah Prince had found his way to Hyrule. Sheik came from Termia, another land that was also blessed by the goddesses and yet remained separate from Hyrule. Sheik was on the same quest as my son, to find a new land full of hope that his people could escape to.

My son learned that the Sheikah Prince knew of a place that the Tenshioni could retreat to. The highest mountains of Termia had forever been caught in the grips of snow and likely would forever remain that way…

Sheik deviated from his task to show my son the way. The two of them quickly formed a strong friendship as they traveled. The spirits of the land described them as two sides of the same rupee…The spirits told me that they seemed to be brothers united by fate and that my son had swore to Sheik that he would return to help as soon as his own task was complete.

But after reaching Termia's land of snow my son unexpectedly ended up sharing whatever horror his new friend faced…a horror so great that the spirits refused to speak of exactly what happened… all I know… is that Sheik and my son died side by side as heroes, and as friends…

The surviving Sheikah knew of my son's plight and as they arrived in Hyrule they banded together to try and save the family of the winged man who had died alongside their Prince in order to save them all…but the demon attacked where they had settled, a place at the bottom of Death Mountain.

The demon left few behind, the surviving Sheikah built themselves a humble home by the mountain surrounding the graves of their fallen warriors building an underground temple in their honor.

Of those who remained of the Sheikah clan, the ones who could call themselves the former Royalty of Ikana Kingdom took their place alongside the Royalty of Hyrule, no longer royalty themselves, instead they now took a new stance as the protectors of those who ruled the land. They had failed to protect their own kingdom in Ikana, but perhaps as protectors of another kingdom they could redeem their own loss..

Sadly the Sheikah's numbers dropped so drastically with the demon's attack that by your generation only one remained of the unique and noble race… Impa, the great descendent of Sheik's own mother…"

"Impa may be the last" Kaepora continued "but it seems that she in the end has brought closure to her clan and her family's task, for she saved you in that dark future that almost was, and thus saved all of Hyrule."

Zelda's eyes were full of tears as she looked down at the mask her thoughts reaching out to Impa, to the Sheikah who had always been by her side since the day of her birth.

Kaepora sighed as a faint smile tired to show through his anguish "To see you fight alongside Tenshioni Link in the form of Sheik, brought much joy to my heart…I got to see the essence of the two great heroes…." his voice choked

"…I got to see the shadows of the two great friends, fight side by side as if destiny never took them from this world.  
Fate works in such strange ways….such a tangled web it wove of life and death as each of these events ensnared so may lives and ascended so many generations, but in the end all fates became as one and pasts divided met once again…"

Kaepora's next words gripped at his chest  
"Very little of the one who was healed remains in the mask as their spirit is laid to rest, but I am sure the shadows of the souls of Sheik and Kakariko were grateful to be together again….and I cannot thank you enough for bringing closure to both my life and their's." Kaepora smiled wiping tears from his eyes. "Thank you… my princess."

After the winged sage regained his usual strong composure he spoke once again.  
"Lets us not tell Link of this…  
…Ever since he was a boy, when I began following him, my longing to be with my own family left me feeling as if I were a distant father watching over this lonely child chosen by destiny …When he took on the Oni mask that feeling became all too real for me, ever more so when the angel was restored to the demon and he resembled my son so closely as the form of Kakariko became blended with Link's appearance...if he knows of what I just told you it may trouble him…  
… The friendship I have with Link is unique and I don't want that to change." the sage said, Zelda's eyes reassured Kaepora that he could trust her.

The silver haired sage walked over to Yubreit and sat down next to his old friend. He leaned against the dragon's cold flesh, head just below the creature's folded wing with his own wings down to either side. Yubreit wrapped his tail around Kaepora and put his head in the Sage's lap, and together they fell asleep.

As morning came Kaepora lifted Link's limp and quiet form from the ground and placed him on the dragon's saddle across Zelda's lap. The princess held her sleeping hero close and tight.  
The Sheikah mask was tucked gently in a saddle bag alongside Link's sheathed sword and shield which were tethered to the harness.

Chirin was in his winged form prepared to follow by his own flight. Kaepora went first leading the wolfose out into the parched land that was once their home. As they left the chamber of the fire demon Chirin was last the follow. The boy looked behind him as he left and swore he saw a black feather vanish into the shadows, but as he went to investigate nothing was there. The young hero concluded that his ordeals must have shaken him so greatly that now his mind was playing tricks, that the demons words were merely haunting him…

As they made their way back down the dark tunnel to the entrance in the side of the mountain they were greeted by the fresh smell of the crisp early morning air.  
As they stood at the threshold of the cavern Chirin wiped the ash from his face but as he did he felt something wet. Chirin looked up, rain, it was raining in this land for the first time in generations. A sharp cold wind blew as dark clouds settled over the land shading it.

Zelda and Chirin felt very content as they watched the sun rising beyond the clouds.

The land would return to what it once was.

They had won.

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged ones  
Chapter 14: Death and Choices

Chirin found himself in a room decorated in silver, he had walked through some kind of barrier along with Kaepora and they were now in a room that could not be seen from the outside.

Chirin's eyes grew wide as he looked upon what seemed to be a huge block of ice, within was a small handful huge animals, each lay perfectly still in a state of suspended animation.

They did indeed look similar to the nasty creatures of the same name that Chirin had fought merely the day before, but these were huge and slightly different. Gone were the bulky mutated forelimbs with two large awkward claws, in their stead were perfect wolf paws. Their face and heads were more regal than those of a villainous wolfose and Chirin could see their faces were marked like the Tenshioni, each with its own unique design.

The giant wolfose were much bigger than he had imagined, and they were all sealed inside the enchanted block of ice. Chirin walked towards the ice block staring in awe at one which must be at least ten to twelve feet from nose to tail.

Kaepora walked up and put his hand on the ice, the creatures stirred. Chirin could see that they had begun to breath again. One of the beast's eyes opened and it stood up pushing its nose on the ice against Kaepora's hand, its whiskers flared fur standing on end.

"How to we get them out?" Chirin asked, Kaepora pointed to twin sets of locks. "Our feathers will be the keys."  
The sage walked over "It was not I who changed the lock," he said "the magic of the land changed it. It whispered to me that to save my people I must wait and find the boy chosen by the goddesses, that he would become known as the Hero of Time. The boy would live his life and days more than once and that I would remember the extra life and days he lived when others would not. I was told he and his kin would be the ones to save me and my family and that in the end I would need proof of the Goddesses touch upon a mortal of this world."

"And so now there is another lock alongside the one I built. I built this one with its key being proof of my life, and this one," Kaepora said touching the other lock "the magic of this world set in place as a finial trial for my people."

"I always thought Link would be the one standing at my side when this moment came. I never imagined he would father a being with such a kind and balanced heart and that his child would be the one to obtain the Triforce." He put his hand on Chirin's head and they smiled at each other.

Kaepora plucked a large feather with a slight wince, a bead of blood formed at the end of the quill from where it was pulled free of his wing. Chirin did the same.

Chirin took the feather from his wing and put the lightly bleeding tip into the lock, there was click and then a hissing sound.  
The enchanted ice melted away. As the grand wolves emerged the walls around them froze with the intense cold that followed these creatures. The room around them glistened with ice and silver.  
Kaepora put his hand on the nose of the largest creature, the one that greeted him before.

"Follow me, but not too close for not everyone in this temple today can withstand your cold." he told the huge wise beasts with their solid glowing eyes "I must salvage your savior."

They returned to where Link's wounded winged form was resting in the Sheikah's lap. Link's wing and Sheik's clothing had become drenched in red, Sheik's eyes were weak with worry.

Link was very pale, his eyes barely open as he struggled to not to succumb to the weakness and pain that begged his body to sleep…  
The bleeding had not stopped.

"Kaepora…" Sheik said not knowing what more to say, eyes brimming with tears that threatened to fall upon the warriors face whom tears had never touched.

Navi was in Link's hand "Even if I could call upon the help of my fairy sisters" the little glowing being said in a shaky voice "they cannot help him now, last time the healing hardly helped…the way his Hylian and Tenshioni forms are bound resists the power my sisters have…"

Chirin's winged form melted away as he fell to his knees at his father's side, hands on the hero's cold shoulders. The child's pleading eyes looked up at the sage, unable to speak through the torment his soul now faced.

"Link." Kaepora said, the dying hero turned to face him, trying to focus. Kaepora tried to be brief but there was so much that needed to be said, the choice to be made came with consequence.

"Link, the Tenshioni form borrows its power from your Hylian body, fueling itself, and healing itself by draining what it needs from your life force…If you dispel the Tenshioni form you will surely instantly die….  
… You are also not long for this world if you stay in the form you are in…  
but …there is a form you can take that may save you." said the sage, his onlookers confused by how such news could be presented with such foreboding.

"The Tenshioni form is merely tied to your Hylian self right now, but if I merge the Tenshioni with your true form…then you might be saved…But it means you will never be able to change back to who you once were nor take on the form you have now, you will become neither Hylian or Tenshioni…"

"Link, the choice must be made now before the demon's curse becomes too great for my power. The binding of forms is painful both physically and emotionally, it is risky and there is a good chance it will fail.  
The curse of the demon wound ensures that your end will be long and persistent, if you stay in the Tenshioni form you may get at least another hour to be in the arms of your family... if this fails you will die here and now. "

The Wind sage cast his next words sternly, he eyes and voice unwavering as he spoke to the dying hero.  
"Link… if I do this… death will draw you close during the process, if this fails it will take you from this world. If what I am about to do does succeed then you will loose a part of your Hylian self and you shall forever feel this loss… You will have to relearn how to live."

Link's face laid unchanged as he gave his response "Just do it." Link said voice choked with blood as his body seized in pain. Link fought to stay conscious, eyes growing dark, his expression calm in the face of death.

"Sheik, hold him close, Chirin…" he said painfully as he saw the expression on the boy's face "His spirit must endure much if he is to survive, together you need to remind his soul that it has a reason to remain in this world."  
Kaepora lowered his head and closed his eyes "Brace yourself." the sage said, Link cracked an ever so faint smile at the irony of how he felt the last time he heard the sage say those words.

Link's wings began to glow with a cold light, strength slowly began to return to him but with it came a deep rooted pain as the core of his life force began to merge with that of the essence of the Tenshioni. The pain was far greater than the use of a mask and greater still than when the angel was restored to the demon.

Though the two forms were merging Link felt as if he were being torn in half and his soul begged to be free of this pain.

Zelda within the form of Sheik held Link tighter as the hero's body stiffened and writhed with agony, tears streaming down the Sheikah's face for the first time. Chirin's eyes were tightly closed as he held onto his mother cloaked as Sheik, his gentle soul reeling from the intensity of the tormented hero's plight.

Link's armor vanished as it does when he dispels the Tenshioni form, the green tunic was torn and red with the blood of the hero. His hair began to go blonde again and the Oni marks faded slightly on his face. His splendorous wings grew ever so slightly smaller and smaller until they reached about half size. And most importantly of all, the wound began to close, leaving behind a deep scar the color of blood.  
His horrendously scarred body remained as proof of the death he had faced and this mark would forever remain with him.

With one last soft sound of pain the writhing body of the hero fell limp and silent in the arms of the Sheikah warrior… only the gentle rise and fall of his chest showing he had survived the merging of beings.

Sheik reached up and with a precise touch to the side of the face the form of Zelda now rested under Link's broken body. Zelda let the mask of the fallen warrior Sheik land on the floor and held Link's weak unmoving form tight and close, her tears falling to his face. Chirin laid against her side sobbing in relief with little Navi in his cupped hands and Yubreit at his shoulder.

Kaepora smiled a weak and heart heavy smile at the sight of the Queen once again holding her fallen King. Kaepora turned his attention to the dragon's wounds for the small family would need the creature's help to get home. Yubreit nuzzled the sage's hair as the man tended to his wounds, ever so happy to see Kaepora despite the pain the dragon was in.

Kaepora turned to look at the wounded family and his eyes met the questioning gaze of Zelda who still held the unconscious hero. Kaepora knew from the expression in her eyes just what she was asking "He will still be himself, no worries." the sage said "Like when you take on the form of Sheik the alternate soul exists as a guide and never overpowers or influences the person beyond taking over their outward appearance…He will feel a sense of loss, but trust me, his soul is still his and it is still whole."

Kaepora went back to the dragon "I have done my best to help Yubreit heal, my dear friend here should be well enough by daybreak, with his help you can get your family home."

Kaepora turned to the Princess "Link will not be able to move for a few days, likely bedridden for a few weeks, and I doubt he will awaken anytime soon…By all accounts he should not even be breathing…What I have done to save him was drastic and to be honest I am surprised it even worked. He has touched the hand of death and been pulled free again …it will take some time for him to recover in both body and spirit."

"What worries me most" the sage said a few moments later "is how long it will take for his inner being to heal…as I told him before, a Tenshioni is born with a an inner balance that all other beings spend their entire lives struggling to find. You and Link have lived an extra life caught in the web that fate crafted for you, and so you each had found an inner peace that no other Hylian has ever obtained…And now the balance Link had within has been drastically changed.  
All I can do is hope that one day he regains the inner peace he so deserves."

With his last words Kaepora left the room to give the family some time to recover from their ordeal in private. He also wished to tend to the wolfose, to reacquaint himself with the fur covered friends he had not seen in so long.

Darkness descended upon the land as well as on the occupants of the temple in the ground below. Stars shimmered through the hole in the ceiling as a gust of wind brought sand trickling down into the room where the weary warriors were settling in for the night.  
Zelda had prepared a fire as a little shelter of warmth in the cold room. The wolfose stayed in the passage outside of the cavern so as to keep the place just cool enough for Kaepora to not fall ill and warm enough to do the same for the others.

Chirin had fallen asleep in his winged form, unlike Link the boy could hold his transformation even when unconscious. His ability to shift forms being granted to him by the goddesses meant it came without rules or consequences.  
Chirin was laying on his side atop one wing and had wrapped himself with the other, sleeping in a sandwich of soft warm feathers.

Zelda did what she could to make Link comfortable on the floor next to Chirin, mimicking what the boy had done with his wings after taking Link's extra gear off, leaving his boots and gauntlets on this time for it was cold.  
As Zelda stepped back she looked upon her hero and son side by side, her heart sank a little further as she compared their wings…Link's wings were so much smaller now…

The princess sat and watched her sleeping family, she heard Chirin's stomach growl, there was no choice but to go to bed hungry this tonight. What worried her far more than their shared hunger was just how deep a sleep her hero was in. She found herself checking on him constantly for his form was so still and quiet that at times she thought he had died…

Kaepora came back from tending to the wolfose who now slept in a pile of snow.  
"Zelda…?" he said looking to the Princess who was now trying to make herself more comfortable "That mask, that name you used with it…you do know of its history? Correct?"

"Yes" said Zelda as she tenderly picked it up off the floor. "Impa told me. Sheik was a Prince of Ikana and with his status he took on the same name as his people. He was more than just their prince, he was a warrior and their hero. He sacrificed much to change the fate that his people faced in the land of Termia. She told me that it was through his actions that the Sheikah found their way to Hyrule... but in the end he gave up his life...  
As his suffering was healed with the Ocarina that was passed from the Sheikah family to mine, the mask was created, and Impa's family has cherished it ever since…"

Kaepora sighed, his heart aced so much to say these next words aloud. He had left out a very important detail about the Tenshioni mask when he spoke to Link about the winged form he had obtained, afraid it may change their friendship and trouble the Hero of Time.

"The form that Link took, the mask he used…" Kaepora paused as he prepared to say the rest "was also created by healing the soul of a fallen hero and prince…"

"Prince?" Zelda gasped "But… Link told me what you told him about the mask, that it was created from the one you sent, the one who perished during his quest to find the Tenshioni a place to relocate to. But y-you were king at the time…!"

Kaepora sighed and closed his eyes as a tear that he had held back for so long finally fell "…he was my son."

Zelda looked on in shock, Kaepora's sad eyes met hers and he continued.  
"He was somehow born gifted with the ability to survive beyond our land of snow. When the demon came my son wanted to fight but I did not see how he could survive alone against such a foe. I sent him on a far more important task, I sent him away to find help and new home for our people. I knew nothing of his fate until I followed Link to Termia. The voices of the lingering souls of the land of Hyrule and Termia together weaved for me a tale for that gripped at my heart."

"My son had met Sheik shortly after the Sheikah Prince had found his way to Hyrule. Sheik came from Termia, another land that was also blessed by the goddesses and yet remained separate from Hyrule. Sheik was on the same quest as my son, to find a new land full of hope that his people could escape to.

My son learned that the Sheikah Prince knew of a place that the Tenshioni could retreat to. The highest mountains of Termia had forever been caught in the grips of snow and likely would forever remain that way…

Sheik deviated from his task to show my son the way. The two of them quickly formed a strong friendship as they traveled. The spirits of the land described them as two sides of the same rupee…The spirits told me that they seemed to be brothers united by fate and that my son had swore to Sheik that he would return to help as soon as his own task was complete.

But after reaching Termia's land of snow my son unexpectedly ended up sharing whatever horror his new friend faced…a horror so great that the spirits refused to speak of exactly what happened… all I know… is that Sheik and my son died side by side as heroes, and as friends…

The surviving Sheikah knew of my son's plight and as they arrived in Hyrule they banded together to try and save the family of the winged man who had died alongside their Prince in order to save them all…but the demon attacked where they had settled, a place at the bottom of Death Mountain.

The demon left few behind, the surviving Sheikah built themselves a humble home by the mountain surrounding the graves of their fallen warriors building an underground temple in their honor.

Of those who remained of the Sheikah clan, the ones who could call themselves the former Royalty of Ikana Kingdom took their place alongside the Royalty of Hyrule, no longer royalty themselves, instead they now took a new stance as the protectors of those who ruled the land. They had failed to protect their own kingdom in Ikana, but perhaps as protectors of another kingdom they could redeem their own loss..

Sadly the Sheikah's numbers dropped so drastically with the demon's attack that by your generation only one remained of the unique and noble race… Impa, the great descendent of Sheik's own mother…"

"Impa may be the last" Kaepora continued "but it seems that she in the end has brought closure to her clan and her family's task, for she saved you in that dark future that almost was, and thus saved all of Hyrule."

Zelda's eyes were full of tears as she looked down at the mask her thoughts reaching out to Impa, to the Sheikah who had always been by her side since the day of her birth.

Kaepora sighed as a faint smile tired to show through his anguish "To see you fight alongside Tenshioni Link in the form of Sheik, brought much joy to my heart…I got to see the essence of the two great heroes…." his voice choked

"…I got to see the shadows of the two great friends, fight side by side as if destiny never took them from this world.  
Fate works in such strange ways….such a tangled web it wove of life and death as each of these events ensnared so may lives and ascended so many generations, but in the end all fates became as one and pasts divided met once again…"

Kaepora's next words gripped at his chest  
"Very little of the one who was healed remains in the mask as their spirit is laid to rest, but I am sure the shadows of the souls of Sheik and Kakariko were grateful to be together again….and I cannot thank you enough for bringing closure to both my life and their's." Kaepora smiled wiping tears from his eyes. "Thank you… my princess."

After the winged sage regained his usual strong composure he spoke once again.  
"Lets us not tell Link of this…  
…Ever since he was a boy, when I began following him, my longing to be with my own family left me feeling as if I were a distant father watching over this lonely child chosen by destiny …When he took on the Oni mask that feeling became all too real for me, ever more so when the angel was restored to the demon and he resembled my son so closely as the form of Kakariko became blended with Link's appearance...if he knows of what I just told you it may trouble him…  
… The friendship I have with Link is unique and I don't want that to change." the sage said, Zelda's eyes reassured Kaepora that he could trust her.

The silver haired sage walked over to Yubreit and sat down next to his old friend. He leaned against the dragon's cold flesh, head just below the creature's folded wing with his own wings down to either side. Yubreit wrapped his tail around Kaepora and put his head in the Sage's lap, and together they fell asleep.

As morning came Kaepora lifted Link's limp and quiet form from the ground and placed him on the dragon's saddle across Zelda's lap. The princess held her sleeping hero close and tight.  
The Sheikah mask was tucked gently in a saddle bag alongside Link's sheathed sword and shield which were tethered to the harness.

Chirin was in his winged form prepared to follow by his own flight. Kaepora went first leading the wolfose out into the parched land that was once their home. As they left the chamber of the fire demon Chirin was last the follow. The boy looked behind him as he left and swore he saw a black feather vanish into the shadows, but as he went to investigate nothing was there. The young hero concluded that his ordeals must have shaken him so greatly that now his mind was playing tricks, that the demons words were merely haunting him…

As they made their way back down the dark tunnel to the entrance in the side of the mountain they were greeted by the fresh smell of the crisp early morning air.  
As they stood at the threshold of the cavern Chirin wiped the ash from his face but as he did he felt something wet. Chirin looked up, rain, it was raining in this land for the first time in generations. A sharp cold wind blew as dark clouds settled over the land shading it.

Zelda and Chirin felt very content as they watched the sun rising beyond the clouds.

The land would return to what it once was.

They had won.


	15. Chapter 15 Loss and Life

Art for ths chapter http: / / lilleahwest. deviant art .com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Weary-Angel-196492457

The Legend of Zelda  
The Winged Ones  
Chapter 15: Loss and Life

Link once again awoke in the safety of home, he was in the center of the large bed, wings carefully laid out and folded at either side of him under the sheets, his now lightened gold hair strewn across the pillow. His face bore the faint marks of the Tenshioni, the marks of the demon half.  
Navi was curled up asleep in his hair. He was barefoot and in crisp clean night pants but no shirt due to his now permanent winged form.

Added to his collection of faded rosy scars was the red scar of the demon. A huge crimson gash deep in his flesh, dealt to him upon the healing of a wound that was cursed to never heal. A wound that brought him within the grasp of death only to be saved by a drastic choice.

Link's body was numb but a deep feeling of loss wrenched at his heart causing him to feel a pain that his nerves could not "Kaepora…" he whispered softly not looking away from the ceiling, his eyes adjusting to the light. Kaepora was the last thing he saw and the last voice he heard.  
"He is home." said Zelda who sat beside him. "And so are you." she said touching him gently but taking her hand away as he winced closing his eyes and looking away.

As Link opened his eyes again he saw the Ocarina of Time on the nightstand, Zelda had put it there knowing that in all this time he had never let it out of his sight, even during the Wind Temple he had it stashed in is side bag.

Link's gaze returned to Zelda, his eyes silently asking her to continue,

"He is restoring his land, the old wolfose at the Ice Caverns was still alive. The beast was relieved of its life long duty of keeping the Tenshioni alive as another took his place. The poor old thing is on the hill at the back of the castle…he was too weak to make it back to the land of snow so we offered to let it spend the last of its days here, protected and under the sun it had not seen in so long…"

"His family…?" Link said weakly, the plight of Kaepora being taken from his family struck Link deeply for his son was the greatest gift life had ever gave him "They still sleep, he will release his family when their home is restored…he told me that it will take some time…"  
Link said no more, the hero laid unmoving as he closed his eyes and quickly fell back into a death-like sleep.

Link laid bedridden for more than a week.  
During this time his body and soul learned to live again.

Chirin was by Link's side nearly constantly as he recovered, sometimes trying to entertain Link, sometimes just sleeping on the floor next to the bed atop the bench cushion he stole from the other room…Chirin wanted to stay close to his father…And Link welcomed the company for loneliness seemed to wrench at his chest causing a pain to grip him from within, and it grew worse when he was alone.

Though the boy had endured much hardship alongside his father Chirin recovered quickly, he had the strong spirit of his mother. Even witnessing the near death of his father was not enough to break his optimistic nature.  
Once again Link found himself in the presence of someone with more emotional strength than his own…But this time Link's soul was more than just battle weary, the upset to his inner self went much deeper than what Zelda healed as they grew up together.  
However, it seemed that the only thing that could help Link feel like his old self was staying close to Zelda and their child. His connection with them was the only thing keeping his sanity in check.

Several more days past, Link awoke alone in in his room, one arm and one wing slung over the side of the bed with his hat in his hand. Link found only Navi nearby, the fairy was sitting in his hair untangling it strand by strand.

Realizing that Zelda had mentioned she would be out for the day Link decided he had enough of this lifestyle of sheets and pillows and today would be the day he got up even though Zelda had insisted he stay put for a few more days to fully recover.

Link stepped out of bed nearly falling as his feet touched the floor for the first time in so long, catching himself on the nightstand as Navi silently fussed over him. Link left his hat aside and took the ocarina from the nightstand and put it in his pocket.

He passed the great mirror on dresser by the door and stopped, this was the first time he had seen his new self.  
His hair was blonde but very pale, the Oni marks were light on his face…and it was now that he saw just how much smaller his wings were.  
If one had never seen his full Tenshioni form they would think the wings were quite large, but they were now nearly half the size.  
His wings used to tower over his head when folded at his back, the tips used to be so long that he had to curl their massive length to the front or back of him to keep the plumage out of the way and off the ground. Now his wings when folded were not much taller than his own head, and the tips when held straight were inches above the ground.

Link stared at the scars on his body, not long ago in a time of peace he had assured Zelda he had no intentions of adding to his collection of scars, but now he had one that overshadowed them all and made the worst of his old scars seem tame.

Link looked at the scar on his neck and touched it, before now this was his most deadly mark. The scar on the side of his neck was obtained when the Shadow of Link first appeared in the future that almost was, nearly slitting his throat in battle…Link had only just barely won that time… he already felt lucky to be alive each day because of what happened with Dark.  
After that trial in the Water Temple Link had hoped to never suffer like that again, to never lay wounded and helpless in the hands of the help of others unsure of his own survival.  
He had hoped to never stare death in the face again, but now he has for the second time.

Link studied the gash on his chest, he touched it, feeling the indentations in his flesh. He grimaced at the sight…once again that deep sense of longing and loneliness began to wash over him along with the pain…it was worse than before, it gripped at his heart making his eyes grow harsh and cold, the kindness of the hero fading from his soft blue eyes.  
Navi landed on Link's shoulder, snapping him out of the darkness he was transcending into. Link smiled at Navi, at the little companion who stayed alongside him during his trials in the future that almost was. "Thank you." he told the fairy "For what?" she said confused, she had merely landed there to sit on him, she had no idea what was going on within "uhhh Nothing." Link said not wanting to cause alarm having realized the fairy had no clue of the dark place his mind had just wandered into "I am just so glad to have you back." he said sincerely, the little fairy nuzzled herself under his ear.

Link looked back to the mirror and thought about what had just happened, "Why do I feel this way! There is too much for me to be grateful for, too much for me to give in to the downsides of the choice I have made….but why, why can't I keep this darkness at bay…"

Link staggered unsteadily down the hall, Navi followed silently, resisting the urge to finish untangling his hair. Link stopped and stared at one of the decorative suits of armor, he swiped it's spear using the staff to help steady his weak gait. The tile floor was cold under his bare feet as he made his way to the back of the castle.

The hill in the field was covered in snow despite the fact it was late spring. A white and withered wolfose laid wearily at the top, its posture spoke of stiffened bones and pain, the great creature was slowly dying.

Epona and her daughter Fillea came running as Link approached the gate and they followed him close, Epona nudging at the ocarina in his pocket for she liked to hear him play "In a moment" he said stopping to stroke the graying mare's face, he looked towards the hill, a feeling of sadness gripping him again as he gazed upon the frail old wolfose.

Link climbed the hill, the crunch of snow under his bare feet. Epona and Fillea had stopped at the edge of the grass. Link sat next to the wolfose who looked at him with pleading eyes "I know…" Link said as the wolfose laid it's head in the snow still looking at him. "Thank you…" Link said, the voiceless creature responded by closing it's eyes and sighing.  
Link took out the ocarina and played a song he had learned in another land, a song that brought peace to the dying and repaired tormented souls, the Song of Healing.

The wolfose sighed a deep sound of relief and its form slowly faded into a swirl of dust. The dust gathered to one small spot at Link's side. The hero looked down with curious shock at the unexpected item, a mask had formed in the now melting snow.

He picked it up, wondering if it held the same properties as the Goron, Sheikah, Deku, Zora and Oni mask, but not daring to try it…Link never again wanted to experience a transformation. His soul had been in so many forms and now the form his spirit rested in was forever torn between worlds, he dared not split himself three ways.

Link climbed down the hill sliding in the slush of the now melting snow nearly falling, he would have fallen and been coated in mud if it weren't for Epona. The ever faithful horse hand bounded to his side and Link caught his fall on her flank. Epona walked slowly back to the gate, supporting the only person she ever let be called her master, the only person whose soul was kind and calm enough to reach out to hers.

Link slowly made his way back to his room and tenderly added the wolfose mask to the trunk of items under his bed. He added this new mask to the collection he had brought home form the land of Termia, many of which still held the hurt and sorrow of others…

Link looked at the Goron and Zora masks and remembered how he had healed their broken souls. He put a hand to his chest "Perhaps mine is broken as well…" he thought "Will my end be the same as theirs…? Is the song of Healing the only relief I can find…"  
Link snapped himself out of that dark thought, Chirin and Zelda meant to much to him, he must push on and find a way to live with the new emptiness that laid within.

It took a year for the magic of the wolfose to bring the land of snow back to its frozen splendor. The Ice dragons had returned from whichever expanse of land they had retreated to, so far from Hyrule that Kaepora was forever unable to find them.  
With aid of their wings Link had sent volunteers and paid workers from his kingdom to help restore the kingdom of the Tenshioni, they planted trees and restored houses, even the Temple of Wind was on its way to recovery.

It also seemed to take Link a year to get used to the new form he was left as a result of Kaepora's desperate move to save his life.

The wings he had in his new form were now smaller than those of a true Tenshioni, this meant they did not get in the way as much but they still proved to be a burden. Shirts became an interesting task, as did riding horseback, windy days, sitting in his throne, and swimming. Daily life changed for the hero for even simple acts like sleeping came with new problems thanks to his feathers… and lets not even get started on how hard grooming became thanks to his permanent plumage, or how Zelda had to learn to tolerate the smell of wet feathers that filled the palace every time Link bathed.

Link's new body also came with another price to be paid, one that dashed his dreams of a larger family. Chirin was the greatest blessing that life ever gave him...and it was his wish, as well as Zelda's, to have the future bless them with more new lives to cherish.  
But Link's wings were such a heavy burden that he did not wish to bring another life into this world cursed with wings that could not fly, forever taunted by the fact they were so close and yet so far from experiencing something as wonderful as flight.  
Furthermore things may not turn out too pleasant for Zelda in the end, Hylians are not meant to be born with wings. Bringing a new life into the world was not worth risking the life of another.  
Link had grown up without a mother and it would tear him apart if he had to watch Chirin do the same.

In addition to troubles caused by his new form Link found he could only just barely and clumsily get off the ground on his now smaller wings which proved to be utterly useless. Link fought the urge to let this deter and depress him. He began working on honing and strengthening what little remained of the Tenshioni magic he once held with such strength. Link's hope was that one day he could use magic to restore full use of flight, if he has to live with these cumbersome things they might as well be useful…however, all his attempts at flight have failed.

But the hardest thing of all for the hero to learn to live with was the loss of his inner peace. As the two forms merged a seam laid between them at his core, a void that upset the balance within. Gone was the deep and true serenity he once had for now a deep sense of longing and emptiness was always present at the back of his mind, a feeling that at times gripped at his heart and brought his mind into dark places. This feeling left him sleepless in the night and disturbed him on a daily basis for it caused him great concern to be alone, afraid he may loose himself completely if no one was there to pull him from the brink.  
As a result Link became so much closer to his family, it seemed that only their presence could hold these feelings at bay and because of this their bond grew ever stronger. Alongside his family Link was free to be his old self.

Despite the dark emotions that lingered over the irretrievable Hylian form he had surrendered, despite the pitfalls of his new body and the fact he could no longer even fly. Link had no regrets.  
Through the hardships Link faced in his many quests he had learned to never squander a gift. The gift of life was the most import gift of all…and Link was the only person fortunate enough to say that this gift was taken from him and then graciously given back…

There was so much he had to live for, too much for him to ever regret having the gift of life returned to him, even if it did come at a cost.

And so a year had past, the land of snow was indeed a land of snow again, small trees and plants dotted the landscape, the Temple of Wind which also served as the home and palace of the Tenshioni Sage and King was half restored. New homes were built and crops were planted, animals had been restored to the land and a few cold cows provided by Malon of Lon Lon Ranch huddled in the snowy field alongside cuccos that were learning to adapt to the sensation of freezing toes.

The day had arrived, Kaepora was at the palace gates, his typical warm grin on his face. Link had not seen Kaepora since before that defining moment when the Sage used his abilities to forever bind Link with his wings, in the process saving his life and keeping his soul in this world.

To one side of the sage stood Yubreit whose face lit up at the sight of Chirin. To his other side stood a small pack of giant wolfose, their companionship providing the cold he and his people would need to make their return to the land of snow. Link grinned to see the guards sneaking away from their posts to investigate the trail of frost that had followed the huge creatures, he laughed as one noticed the King was watching and slipped on the Ice.

Impa, Link Chirin and Zelda accompanied Kaepora, Chirin gleefully riding on Yubreit's back as the dragon pranced about. Together they made their way to the Ice cavern.

The wolfose had froze the water outside the entrance with a single touch of a paw. Ruto and a few Zora joined them seeing as how this was all happening right out their back door…that and Zora's domain needed time to thaw out after the wolfose had made their way through.

"The wings of light have prevailed" Kaepora chanted breaking the barrier that kept his people in an ageless slumber. Slowly his people emerged alongside the young wolfose, the one who had taken on the task of sustaining an endless winter in the cave.

Rubbing sleep from their eyes the meager group of surviving Tenshioni stretched their wings and took to the sky in joyous celebration. Kaepora heard his name amidst the flying crowd and hooting with laughter Kaepora flew into his wife's arms, Kaepora's young son followed carrying his still flightless little sister. It was one big bear hug in the sky.

Impa smiled in spite of herself at the sight of the freed winged people. Her clan had tried to save the Tenshioni in repayment for what the winged prince had done to save them. But they had failed, and the result was the start of her clan's downfall. The Sheikah clan never held ill will towards this fact, but rather they felt responsible for what they thought was the death of a race.

The fact that Zelda had gone in the form of Sheik and played a part in restoring the winged race filled the wizened red eyed warrior with great happiness. For in the end the Sheikah in a sense were able to succeed in repaying the deed that the winged prince had done for them at the cost of his life.  
And now her clan's history laid fulfilled in the end.

The small winged family landed. Link gazed upon Kaepora with his children. What Link now felt was different than before, for the first time Link saw more than just his mentor, Link saw Kaepora as the loving father and gentle King that the sage was always meant to be.  
Link smiled, deeply happy, he never imaged that Kaepora's typical warm grin could get any warmer, but here he shone like the sun in the glow of his family.

Chirin was in his winged form, he had taken off the heavy coat his mother had insisted he wear and took on his Tenshioni form to enjoy the cold air that radiated off the huge wolves. He sat in the frost that was forming in the grass next to his father…Moments later the boy felt something breathing on his shoulder.

Behind him was Kaepora's little girl her cheeks pink as she blushed. Chirin was uneasy and whispered in a disturbed voice to his father "d…dad, why is she looking at me like that?" Link looked at the blushing girl and had instant flashbacks of princess Ruto when they meet as kids. Link got an exasperated smile on his face and whispered back "I've seen that look before. Try to run." the girl moved closer, Chirin ran screaming in a peeved and desperate tone "Gaaaaaah! I don't wanna be kissed!" Link shook his head. "Too many memories."

Link watched as his son ran from the giggling love struck Tenshioni fledgling.  
Life had not changed for Chirin, it was decided that he would live the same life he would have lived had he never obtained the Triforce. It was also decided that no one would be informed of the boy's state, it would be kept within the royal family including Impa and Kaepora.

The change in the world was subtle but it was there, the sacred realm reflecting the purity from within Chirin cloaked the world in a newfound tranquility…a tranquility that failed to reach Link's torn form.

Link walked over to where a wolfose was sitting with her chubby little pup whose size was half that of Epona despite just being a baby. Link sat down, as the hero sat alone in the forming snow he was caught again with a sense of loss as his soft blue eyes watched the grand wings that filled the air above. An unrest washed over him as his eyes grew harsh staring at their wings, his gaze cold and mean. The wolfose pup waddled up and sniffed his small wings, nudging them, the touch brought Link out of the grip of the dark attack. As the little pup laid at his feet Link's heart raced, the hero was not sure what just happened but what he felt worried him. Link wanted to spare his family from how the downfalls of his choice affected him, so he quickly regained his composure and tried to act as if nothing had happened.

Kaepora called for all to gather round for he had an announcement, the sage's daughter ran to his side and Chirin climbed down from the tree he had taken refuge in. "Our home has been restored. Link, the king of Hyrule sacrificed much to save us all, even sacrificing himself and his mortal form to restore our land. The form he has been left with is that of both his own and of our people, he may be trapped between forms but as far as I am concerned he fully is welcomed as a Tenshioni." he turned to face Link his face as sincere as anyone's can be "I am forever grateful to him." the crowd cheered and Link's face grew flush, he is more accustomed to being an unsung hero.

"Let us go home" Kaepora continued his warm smile huge on his face, wife at his side with one arm around her "the next five days will be nothing but celebration!" the crowd cheered and began heading to the land of snow following the giant wolfose. Kaepora turned to Link "You've done so much for us, the least we can do is invite you to the festivities." a fierce cold wind blew making Link and Zelda shiver. Chirin walked up to his parents, his lips blue as he had taken on his Hylian form again in hopes that Kaepora's daughter would not recognize him. The shivering child asked for his coat back.

Link sighed "I know you thrive in the cold but we Hylians…and half breeds…enjoy being warm." there was another gust and it blew Link's hat off before he had a chance to stop it. Link's long light blonde hair toppled out over his shoulders, Ruto's eyes widened "Wow your hair is as long as Zelda's!" Ruto piped as Link ran after his hat "I never knew you had long hair." Link's face had an amusing look of embarrassment, he had never let his hair down outside the palace. "hmmm" said Ruto "I am not sure I like guys with long hair, and I was already iffy about the wings. I guess you are off the hook." she teased going back inside giggling over Link's exasperated expression.

As soon as Link had tucked his hair back into his hat they said their goodbyes and headed back home. "Dad, why do you hide your hair?" Link looked at him "I've always had long hair and the Kokiri used to tease me about it… but Saria loved it, she was my only friend when I was your age, she adored my hair and used to braid it just for fun. Being my only friend in the whole world growing up I left it long to remind me of how much her friendship meant to me… Besides Navi loves it too, that is why she hides in my hat so much. She even builds little nests in there sometimes."  
"Hey?" Navi said popping out of his hat "That was our little secret!" she said flustered as Link grinned at her with a boyish smile.

Chirin cocked an eyebrow "So you hid your hair all this time just because you got teased?" Link looked at his son, Link said not a word but the look on his face said "you're right" and he took off his hat letting his thick long hair come down over his shoulders.  
Navi grumbled over the loss of her sleeping space.

Link scooped up Chirin and put him on his shoulders, the boy's laughter washing away any trace of the dark emotions Link felt before.  
The sun was sinking low on the horizon, Link sighed "Come on lets go home, we've got some one's birthday celebration to plan for." Chirin hooted in joy but then stopped suddenly and stiffly "Dad, just please don't invite that girl to the party." Link busted out laughing and Zelda rolled her eyes.

The small family of three began to make their way home under the warm glow of the setting sun…  
Oblivious to the fact that a black feather drifted through the air behind them.


	16. Chapter 16 New Additions

This is part 2 of the story VS a sequel since it is a continuation of the same plot.

This chapter is a "slice of life" to get us all settled with the time jump but then we get right into the drama and action. So hang in there, things get good (I love chapter 26 so much)

**Chapter 16: New Additions **

Much time has passed since the hero of Time nearly met his death and was left to learn to live again in a body torn between two forms. Many a year has passed since Ganon met his end, since the Demon of Fire was slain and Tenshioni were restored to the land.

Chirin has been growing into a fine young man, blessed with his mother's strong spirit and sense of magic, and gifted with his father's fighting skills and strong sense of courage.

Despite the fact they were living in a time of peace, Chirin, his father, as well as his mother, have made a point of staying in practice and would spar together as a form of training and entertainment.  
The father and son also set out on quests to keep the many nasty creatures and pests of the world at bay.

The queen Zelda also enjoyed these adventures tagging along in the form of Sheik. She had always regretted not being unable to assist Link in the future that almost due to the extent of Ganon's grasp.  
Now she was free to follow Link to the ends of the earth in the Sheikah warrior's guise which allowed her to overcome the physical weakness that came from a body bred of royalty not heroes.

Before the Tenshioni were restored to the world Zelda had regarded the Sheikah mask as a sign of her harsh existence in the future that almost was. She had left herself to try and forget about that future and thus also about the mask.  
The events of the Wind Temple changed this, the mask along with Sheik's form took on a great importance to Zelda.

After the Wind Temple and the events with the Fire Demon Impa had granted Zelda full ownership of the mask. Being the last of her clan there was no longer any Sheikah for her to pass it on to…however Impa regarded Zelda as family, more so as an adopted daughter in light of the fact that Impa raised her in the absence of the late queen.  
The elder Sheikah was more than happy to see the mask passed on to her princess.

Alongside using the Sheikah mask to aid her King and son in their quests she would strike out alone to take care of tasks such as the skulltula infestation in Kakariko well…And oddly enough Zelda also found herself taking on a guilty pleasure with the mask and the gender confusion it comes with.

She continually refuses to tell Link exactly how a mask works when it comes to apposing genders. She did not want him to know for several reasons, but mostly because she enjoyed keeping this one secret from him.

Zelda looked into further utilizing the mask and on occasion would amuse herself by teasing the Gerudos who very much wanted to catch the handsome illusive figure who seemed to show up out of nowhere and vanish just as mysteriously….  
However she stayed far away from Zora's domain, teasing the Gerudo was fun but Ruto on the other hand had an unhealthy obsession with Sheik in the future that almost was and Zelda wished to not repeat this.

The family had grown into quite the fighting team, but their lives during this time of peace were not entirely focused upon embarking on quests both for business and fun.

There was also a new addition to their lives that took up a lot of their attention.

At this point in our story Chirin is a teenager, he is still younger than Link's form in the future that almost was, but much older than when his father returned from Termia.

Chirin is no longer a little kid, but there is a new little one in the family.

The Prince now has a younger sister who stands about knee high next to him. A desert colored, red haired sibling who he considers to be of his own flesh and blood. Link and Zelda feel the same way about this little girl they brought into their lives, she may not have been born into their family but that matters little in the light of the love they have for her.

When Link and Zelda decided that the hero's new winged form meant that having another child of their own was too risky the royal couple had resigned themselves to having a family of only one child. In this time of peace, a peace further amplified by the kind soul who held the Triforce, orphan children were rare.

Still, they put out a notice that any current and future orphans with no one to claim them were to be directed to the palace and were welcome to become part of the royal family.

About a year after the land of snow was restored a toddler, a little Gerudo girl, was left orphaned when fate claimed her mother and there was no father to take her place.

The Gerudo are a proud female race. Their culture is quite obviously lacking in males but they do in fact have fathers all over Hyrule. The Gerudo gene is so dominant that despite the fact each Gerudo has a Hylian father the result is always female and always resembles a Gerudo.  
This information is not widely known, and so the state of the Gerudo's pure female society always seems to be a point of confusion and interest to outsiders.

Normally an orphan Gerudo would be raised communally by the entire tribe, with their leader, in this case Nabooru, as the main guardian. But the spirit sage had always wished to find a way to thank the Hero of Time for his great deeds, and until now there had been no gift great enough to come close to repaying what he had done.  
Nabooru knew just how much being a father meant to Link, the desert sage knew that the little girl would be loved and cherished as if she were his own.  
And so Nabooru decided to let Aryll become the first Gerudo to ever know what it is like to have a father.

The royal family welcomed the little dark skinned, rounded eared, gold eyed, red haired little bundle of joy into their lives with an open heart. Her outward appearance may contrast the pointed eared, fair skinned, blue eyed, blonde family…but it is true that love is blind and she complements their hearts perfectly.

As the girl grew old enough to understand the world around her the royal couple invited Nabooru to come to the castle as often as possible.  
They decided it would be good to keep Aryll in touch with her Gerudo roots.  
And so until she was old enough to venture from the castle Nabooru and her companions would come to visit and keep the girl acquainted with both her birth given and adopted lineage.

Link and Zelda raised their adopted daughter with a clear sense of being born of another heritage but also still being an important part of their family.

Aryll at this point in our story is about the age of preschooler, meaning she's at an age were she is starting to decide things for herself, such as pick out her own clothes. Her parents let her decide just what culture of clothing she wanted to wear, Aryll chose to follow Nabooru's sense of fashion.  
The little girl proudly prances the palace grounds in her Gerudo clothing and high set ponytail looking for adventures and seeking out her father's affection. Aryll is a very loving child her presence has done much good for the hero's heart.

Link simply adores his adopted daughter. Her presence in his life further helped to heal the loss that Link felt when his forms were merged. The empty feeling was still there and at times it gripped him hard, but with this little girl in his life alongside his own son Link was for the most part able to fight the dark feelings that hurt him.

Chirin was also very fond of his adopted sister, by the time she came into his life Chirin was too old to play the role of "partner in crime" with her antics. Rather he became the protective older brother type, there to pick her up when she falls, to tuck her in bed if she nods off playing on the floor, and there to hold her hand when she is scared…And Aryll certainly needed the "protective big brother type" in her life.

Aryll was a tenacious little thing with more fire in her belly than Chirin ever had for she seems to have already fallen out of more trees than Chirin has in his entire life time. She seems immune to the pain of scraped knees and she keeps climbing over the fence into the field with the horses despite the fact her mother fears the small girl may be accidentally crushed by pounding hooves.

Zelda's fears were unfounded though for the girl had a connection with animals that even rivaled Link's. Whenever she snuck her way over the fence Epona would gimp around close behind the little girl as she roamed the field.

Epona had grown old and gray, her body and joints are not what they used to be, but her spirit was as bright as ever and this same bright spirit was reflected in her daughter Fillea and son Phantom, who was born after the drama with the Fire Demon.  
Aryll liked Phantom the most and for good reason for he was a huge a and handsome animal with his white hair and white feathered fetlocks. Aryll had a further fondness of Phantom because she shares a cultural connection with the young horse for he was sired by a black Gerudo stallion, his heritage shown by his dark coat and fire colored eyes.

The little family lived happily in this restored time of peace, building for themselves a bright future together in the heart of the kingdom.

But, alas not all news is good.  
The wings of the hero still prove to be nothing more than a useless nuisance.  
Link has still failed to find a way to restore flight to his small wings, no form of magic seemed to help.  
Zelda had brought up the idea of trying to eliminate them through sorcery or more drastic physical means but Link would not even entertain the idea. As much of a bother the wings are they also mark an important part of his life. His flightless wings were part of the choice he had accepted and he has adapted to life with them.

Link was not the only Hylian with wings. Chirin still retains the Goddesses gift of the Tenshioni form, though he takes on his winged transformation only when needed, never for fun…At least not in front of his father for he knows that the binding of the Hero's Hylian and Tenshioni form was a painful but necessary choice. Chirin did not want to remind his father of the grand winged form he used to have nor remind him of deep hardship they faced together that day.

The Prince primarily used his winged form to travel to the land of snow for it was incredibly hard to reach by another means. He had taken on tutelage under Kaepora who further helped the Prince refine his own magic in both his Hylian and in his Tenshioni form, for the magic within him was not united between forms and each form had its own unique power.

Often watching from afar was Kaepora's daughter Luda, her once bold liking of Chirin had become instead a deep shyness for she still found herself fawning over the prince who could take on the form of the people of two kingdoms.

Chirin was also shy around Luda, as kids he would run for the hills at her advances on him, but now as a young teen seeing her shy smile made him jump inside and blush.  
Kaepora always hid a smile when he saw the two interact, only the future would tell if anything would become of their shy interactions.

Luda had mixed feelings about Chirin…but there was one being in the land of snow however whose emotions were very clear about the boy. The ice dragon Yubreit. The boisterous dragon became overwhelmed with excitement whenever Chirin visited.

The dragon felt torn between owners, he had a strong bond with Kaepora and his family but also instantly took a deep liking to Chirin, and in the past the dragon had risked his own life for the sake of both.

Yubreit would often sneak away from the land of snow to spend a night at the Hylian palace making quite a ruckus as he comes in through the backdoor Chirin leaves open and makes his way to the boy's room to sleep at the foot of his bed.

Zelda did not like that Chirin left the door open for the dragon to come and go as he pleased, the beast hardly fit inside the castle to begin with and as he slept frost formed on the floor beneath him that later became a puddle when he left.  
But Link insisted that she let their son do what he pleased when it came to the dragon. The Hero at first found the Yubreit's perky nature somewhat annoying but his son had quickly formed a bond with the creature and Link quickly became fond of the snowy creature as well...  
And after what the dragon did for them in the Wind Temple Link was more than happy to allow Yubreit and his son to continue their friendship.

And tonight was yet another night when Yubreit came to visit, from the master bedroom the furniture in Chirin's room could be heard scooting around as the dragon turned in circles before laying on the floor.

The palace was quiet as the darkness of midnight cloaked the land. Link's hat was pinned to the wall with Navi sound asleep in it. The hero had since ditched wearing a hat and left his long braided hair for the world to see, but Navi missed it and so he turned it into her own personal bed.

The winged hero was carefully tucked away on his side of the huge bed next to Zelda.  
Link for a time tried to sleep in a bed of his own for they found his large wings to be a nuisance for both of them in the night as Zelda found out that the only thing worse than a spouse rolling on top of you in their sleep was waking up pinned down by and smothering under a wing.

But for Link, the emptiness that haunted his merged form left him sleepless in the night, and being close to his princess helped keep this sense of darkness at bay.  
And so now they shared their sleeping space on a much bigger bed than before so he could keep to one side and have room to roll over and not accidentally smother her with his feathers.

The extra space in the shared bed ensured they both would sleep soundly…  
But tonight their sound sleep would be broken by something far more serious than unruly feathers…

It was the middle of the night, Link was on his side laying atop one wing with the other folded over him.

The hero slowly began to regain consciousness, something was rousing him from his already uneasy sleep.

Suddenly Link sharply sat up in the bed as he pinpointed the source of his unrest, he reached over to wake his queen

It was the sound of the dragon growling.

And it was coming from Chirin's room.

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviant art . com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Family-197200859


	17. Chapter 17 Nightmares

Chapter 17: Nightmares

Chirin was standing by the large dead tree at the center island of Lake Hylia.

The air was hot and the world dark.

Towering flames could be seen beyond the cliffs in the direction of the fields and castle.

A blinding wind surrounded him, pummeled him, and ripped at his wings. He could hardly see and hardly stand.

Black feathers blocked his view, a quick glimpse of red hair.

Suddenly Chirin was gripped by familiar fiery eyes and was overwhelmed with the shock of a fierce pain.

He looked down unable to breath, unable to speak, a blade had been run straight through the center of his chest.

Chirin woke up screaming.

Drenched in sweat, his bed torn apart as he had taken on his winged form unconsciously in his sleep.

The dragon was growling and pacing in what little room it had to do so.

Link and Zelda came in running only to be snapped at by Yubreit who quickly caught his actions and recoiled into the corner trembling from the fact he had nearly struck them and further trembling from what he felt coming from Chirin's sleeping form.

The winged Prince was breathless and not even aware of where he was. A feather drifted down from the high bedpost where he had caught and tore feathers loose along with the curtains that surrounded the bed.

Zelda heard Aryll crying, she had been woken and frightened by her older brother's fearsome scream. As the queen turned to tend to her daughter Impa passed the door in a hastefull pace "I got this." is all the elder Sheikah said as she went to the girl's room.

"Chirin?" Link said as he stood by the door. The boys cold shocked eyes continued to stare dead ahead, seeming to see nothing and yet something so horrible at the same time "Chirin!" Link said as he dove to the side of the bed grabbing the boys arms.

Chirin's frightful eyes me his father's and softened into those of lost child. His wings melted away as the Prince fell back into the pillows with one hand over his brow breathing heavy.

"You had a nightmare didn't you? One that seemed all too real…" Link stated flatly.

"That was more than a nightmare." the boy said exhausted.

Link sat at the edge of the bed, his wings propped out against the side of the frame, looking at his hand, the one that used to bare the mark of the Triforce, a deep sense of fear and unrest growing within his torn form.

"What do you mean one that seemed all to real." Zelda said to her King in a serious voice.

"That night when you fled the castle with Impa, Ganon in pursuit…I saw that exact same moment long before it ever happened, long before I even met you. Even the pain of his attack, I felt it. The dream was terrifying and seemed all too real….and it all became real, right down to when he raised his hand to strike me to the ground, treating me like a fly to be swatted. To this day I am surprised he only hit me with a warning and did not kill me."

"This did kill me.." Chirin said in a stern but shaken voice.

Link turned, pale in the face and fear in his voice  
"What?"

"At the lake…Red hair, eyes of flame, black feathers…Hyrule was burning...the sword…he… h-he killed me…"  
Chirin said hugging his knees and hiding his face behind them.

Link looked stern and worried, Zelda looked downright horrified.

"Well….I know I am not going to get anymore sleep tonight." the hero said getting up and passing his princess.  
"…where are you going!" Zelda said half in shock half in anger that Link would leave at such a time.  
He stood in the door, one hand against he trim looking over his shoulder to Zelda "To the land of snow. I am going to see what Kaepora knows about this. The fire demon was in his temple after all."  
She looked at him  
"…The paintings, what the demon said" "…Yeah" Link said, looking away "I get a feeling the demon's bluff has just been called, and the results are not in our favor."  
Link started down the hall and hollered back  
"I'm taking Phantom, Yubreit looks far too shaken up to carry me. I have no idea when I will be back."

He went to his room to get dressed and gear up, he was alone as Zelda stayed to comfort Chirin and to try to reassure herself as well.  
As the winged hero turned to leave he felt a tug at his insides. The King looked to the bed, or rather to what was under it.  
He stood, puzzled by the odd feeling "Well, Kaepora said the Tenshioni often take guidance through the whispering of the world around them…maybe this is what he means?" Link thought to himself.

Link decided to trust his instincts and crawled under the bed to pull out his big trunk of items from Termina.  
Digging through the masks he touched each and every one of them, as his hand came to rest on the wolfose mask the feeling deep inside him stopped. Link trusted his gut feeling and put the mask in his largest side bag alongside the Ocarina of Time.

It was still dark as Link left the palace, Navi came along as well, his ever faithful little companion lit the way with her glow of blue light.

Link kept Phantom at a steady pace as he made his way to the Gerudo Valley. He was in his slightly fancy green tunic minus the hat. He had the Master Sword with him but nothing more for he hoped the sword alone would be overkill considering how peaceful the last few years have been.

It was the crack of dawn as he crossed the bridge over the gorge.  
Nabooru saw him as he made his way to the desert gate "Is something wrong?" she said as the winged hero waited for the gate to be raised… Link scowled, there was always something wrong with him, especially when he was alone, even now he fought to keep his dark emotions at bay.  
"…not sure yet." he said sternly "Not sure?" "I am going to see Kaepora about it." Link said not another word as the gate had been raised enough for him to pass.

When he reached the Spirit Temple Link let Phantom loose by the oasis. The loyal horse would remain there till he came back, the black steed had inherited his mother's personality and was as faithful and trusting as Epona.

Link began to climb the huge ladder that was now alongside the Desert Colossus. It was a tiring task but getting across the expanse above and then down the embankment on the other side was going to be even less fun…well part of it is fun.

As Link got to the top it was revealed that the cliffs of the desert are in fact the edge of a vast plateau. From where the pale blonde hero stood he could see just how much farther there was to travel. The tops of the clouds that bumped against the edge of this mass of land could just barely been seen on the other side.

As the hero reached the edge of this flat barren expanse of rock he was hot and tired under the afternoon sun, but Link knew that soon he would be utterly too cold. The winged hero stared down at the clouds below knowing of the long drop that faced him. Normally people would have to slowly climb down the rocky cliff face, carefully picking their way through the landscape.  
But for Link, well, his wings may be too small to fly but they still come in useful for one thing… Falling without dying.

Link jumped off the edge and used his wings to glide to the ground below, the hero allowed himself a moment of enjoyment as he did so despite the unpleasant nature of his visit.

As he ungracefully hit the snow below a pack of Ice dragons approached tensely but then halted and went about their business as they realized who it was. Link was more than a friend to this land.

The winged hero picked himself up from the pile of snow he'd landed in and folded his wings around himself like a cloak to help stay warm. His tolerance for cold seemed to come and go, sometimes the chill of the air did not bother him at all, but for the most part he was just plain cold.

The king of Hyrule made his way through the small town, nodding a head to those who greeted the honorary Tenshioni …all the while keeping an eye out for the newest wolfose pup who last time decided it would be fun to tackle the funny looking Tenshioni with the pale face marks and small wings.

As Link arrived at the Wind Temple he stopped to look at it. The temple now stood in its former glory, white and glistening surrounded by statues of the three creatures of snow, the dragons, the true wolfose and the Tenshioni.

The real temple laid underground, the temple above served as a landmark for the one below alongside being the home and palace of the Tenshioni king and sage.

Link made his way up the steps to the doors and let himself inside knowing he was always welcome to call this place his home away from home. He even had a spot in a guest bedroom though he hoped to never need to spend the night for fear of freezing to death in his sleep.

As usual it was not any warmer inside than out since every creature here thrives in the cold. Link went over to the fireplace and quickly got it lit, Kaepora had it built knowing not all the temple guests would be endearing of the cold.

Kaepora came in a short while later with a cup of cold brewed tea, he was unsurprised to see Link. The sage was in a long white tunic that nearly touched the ground and over that his king's armor, similar to what Link had in is Oni and pure Tenshioni forms,

"I was waiting for you." the silver haired man said "The magic of the land spoke of unrest in your kingdom." the sage walked over to the table to set down his cup, the tips of his huge wings grazing the floor.

Link sighed with relief from the cold as he seated himself on the now warming stone floor by the fire, minding that his feathers did not get to close…like they did last time.

Kaepora sat on the far side of the room, away from the heat, in a large chair with a thin tall back that was perfectly designed to suit his huge wings.

Link's gaze grew serious "The demon's prophesy".  
Kaepora flinched at these words recalling the events of the day when he granted Link the return of his life at a cost.

"Those paintings in the temple, what are they?" said the man with smaller wings.  
"To be honest I am not clear on the matter myself, they were not put there by my people and the spirits of the land became deaf in the presence of the demon so they cannot tell me of the history that went on during that time…

I have a feeling that answers to my questions may lie in the desert since that is where Ganon lived before he took up residence here alongside the fire demon. But I'm only able hear the voices of a distinct past whilst on the land of the history's origins…I need a way to survive there, without the guide of a wolfose. The unrest of the land worries me too greatly to risk even one's life, they are too dear to us, so few are left…and if one comes along with me and it should perish then I perish along with it. We must find a way for me to go out on my own."

Link stirred where he sat, remembering what was in his bag.

Kaepora grinned "ah, it speaks to me"

"Speaks?"

"Yes the spirit within, you must have at least heard a whisper or else you would not have it with you. Link please give it to me."

The green clad hero got up and took the wolfose mask from the bag.  
"This is…" the sage said softly with calm surprise as he reached out his hand "…the wolfose from the ice cavern…" he said sadly with an endearing smile as he touched it.

"Yes, he was suffering so I used the song of healing…I was not expecting a mask. I am not sure if it works the same as the Goron and Zora masks which I obtained the same way…I did not dare to try it."

"It's a good thing you didn't." Kaepora said sharply "Just by touching this mask I know the nature of its power and things would not bode well for you if you put this on. Trust me, you already paid one great cost you do not want to know the cost this comes with…a cost that only you would take, being who you are…"  
Link looked at him in shock. Kaepora sighed and put his hand on Link's shoulder. "It is okay, you need not know what this mask means for you. I can use it just fine and for me the only cost is the pain of changing forms."

The sage made his way outside, Link followed, bracing himself to return into the sharp cold, wrapping his wings around him.

"The magic of this land is indeed all knowing. As the owl I could read the land so clearly that I was able to hear what was planned, to hear what fate had foretold. That one blessing I do miss from the owl form, for now I can only hear the voices of the past and present. But still, destiny is indeed once again guiding us, for why else would this mask be here."

Kaepora stood at the foot of the stairs outside "Ah, yes, this will work." The sage took a deep breath and then put on the mask.  
As it touched his skin the mask instantly became bound to flesh. Link watched with great empathy as the sage doubled over in pain, remembering how the masks felt to use, the price they came with.

Kaepora buckled over and fell to his knees, as his hands hit the snow the shift became all the more dramatic. Feathers melted into fur as his size grew, with a great flash the form of a wolfose now stood before link, its size easily twice that of a horse. Glistening white with sliver and gold fur across the top of the face and tail. The eyes glowed solid soft blue, and white markings on the forehead were clearly defined against the gray.

To Link's surprise the giant wolf spoke, its mouth unmoving "Ah yes you can understand me can't you."

"Father!" Luda came running nearly tripping over her own wing, she had seen the whole thing.  
"Oh Luda I did not mean for you to witness that, I am sorry dear." the girl stopped in front of him "I must take on this form for a while but don't worry I can return to normal." "Oh father what have you done! Will you always be a wolfose now…" she sobbed "…you cannot understand me can you child."

"Link" the great beast said "fill her in for me will you, I have a feeling time is of great importance." The wolf took off towards the cliffs.

The girl looked at the King of Hyrule shyly, glancing at his wings and then down to her twiddling fingers, not wanting to make eye contact knowing he was Chirin's father.  
"uhhhh" Link said aloud though in his mind he was saying "Damn it Kaepora don't leave me alone with her." Link felt incredibly uneasy around anyone who was overly shy, he would rather be left alone with Ruto that with Luda…okay well maybe not Ruto.


	18. Chapter 18 Water and Wings

Chapter 18: Water and Wings

Chirin showed up a short time later along with Yubreit. "Well?" he asked.  
"Kaepora left to the desert."  
"Left? How?"  
"With the wolfose mask."  
"The what?"  
"…I never told you guys but, the wolfose that used to live in the ice cavern, the old one; he was dying such a slow and painful death, his soul troubled by the lonely and bleak existence it lived through for generations in that cave… I used the song of healing to mend his soul and a mask resulted, though I was not expecting it."  
"So Kaepora is a wolfose right now."  
"Yes… though I am not sure if we are supposed to wait here or what."

"You can go home."  
Link looked around in confusion, as did Chirin.

"Oh, right I never used this before have I? Only recently have I mastered this new trick. I can now reach out to souls that have been close to me, and aside from my family no one is closer to me than you two. So, you won't be able to reach me but I can reach you. Go ahead and go home, this may take quite a while, I'm not even out of the valley yet."

Chirin spotted Luda tying to secretly peek at him from out her bedroom window, he turned around and whispered to his father blushing, "Dad… can we go?… Luda is spying on me again." Link sighed, he knew all to well what it was like to be pursued as if he were the only eligible bachelor in all of Hyrule… However, he could tell by the look on Chirin's face that the feelings in this case likely went both ways, he never saw the boy blush around any other girl.

The hero looked to the dragon, "Hey, you, Yupert," the snowy beast turned, responding to Link's silly nickname, "I assume you are not still too shaken up to take on a passenger are you?" The dragon crouched down for Link to climb aboard, "We need to head to the Spirit Temple, I can't leave Phantom out there," he said, climbing aboard, wishing the saddle was better insulated against the dragon's cold skin. '…My butt is going to be numb by the time we get there…' he thought to himself.

After picking up the black stallion, Chirin took to travel by ground rather than by air so that they could ride home together. Chirin remained in his winged form because as a Tenshioni he loved the cold nature of the dragon's skin.

When they got back to the castle they found Impa watching over Aryll who played obliviously in the grass at the front of the castle hunting bugs. Zelda had enlisted Impa as a bodyguard in light of the situation considering Chirin was taken without any warning in the past.

When the little princess spotted her returning family the girl careened down the hill as fast as she could and then jumped onto Yubreit's dragging tail to ride it the rest of the way up to the castle giggling all the while.

"Any news?" Zelda said.  
"Kaepora is looking into it, he will get in touch with us soon."  
"You mean he is coming all the way here?"  
"Well no," he said dismounting, "It seems he has found a way to communicate through us much like he did when I held the essence of the medallion of wind. He told us to keep on our toes but not to worry." Link said, his words holding a little white lie to calm the worried mother of his child.

"Hey Yupert, you should stay with us okay?" he said looking over to the dragon which was now playing with Aryll… who was trying to convince him to eat the bugs she'd found… "You and Chirin are the only ones who can fly and we may have to make use of your wings." The dragon looked at him and yawned, he then walked over and curled up in the shade of a tree.  
"I will take that as a yes." Link mused to himself.  
Zelda looked at the dragon, "Must he sit on the lawn, the frost is going to kill the grass!" Link chuckled to himself as he went inside.

A day and a night passed and there was no word from Kaepora. Link tried to keep his concern at bay by busying himself with his family and keeping the boisterous Aryll entertained and out of trouble.

And his little adopted daughter sure knew how to keep him busy as she found new ways to get into mischief including climbing up the curtains and building mudpies on the kitchen floor. Chirin was never this wild as a child but he also was not a Gerudo. Aryll being born to the warrior race meant she had inherited the desert folk's feisty nature, and Nabooru had already assured them that all Gerudo girls act like this.  
The little family easily accepted and even adored her tenacious tendencies…Including the calm older brother who was always there to get her out of a tree if she climbed too high or rescue her from the shed roof when shed got stuck. Little did Chirin know Aryll often got herself caught in high places on purpose just so she could she her older brother use his wings.

But as the third day came Link was getting worried and the fits of darkness caused by his bound forms kept coming and going more than usual. He tried not to let any concern show on his face, not wanting to worry his family any further. However later that day they all got something new to worry about.

Link and Zelda were in the main hall seated at a large table along with their son going over what could be done to keep the citizens of Hyrule safe if turmoil does arise because of the boy's dream.  
"Your Highness" a guard came in "Queen Ruto is at the front steps." "Ruto?" Link was not expecting visitors, and while Ruto may be a playful creature she had never showed up unannounced before meaning the nature of her visit must be business not pleasure.

"Let her in."  
Link already did not have a good feeling about this.

The aquatic being came in at a hurried pace, her face awash with worry as she approached the table.  
"Oh Link it's worse than in the future that almost was. The lake, its completely dried up! It happened last night and so fast, I sent two of my guards to investigate but they never came back."

Link looked to Zelda who got up and pushed the chair aside "I'm getting my mask, tell the guards to get the horses ready."  
"What? Your coming?" the king said.

"Well yeah, I wanted to help you in the future that almost was when you faced the temples and right now I damn well am going to do just that."  
Link was taken aback by how crudely she said that, and then grinned, Sheik talks like that. He was glad to hear the same relaxed tone come out of her princess self for once and not just out of her warrior guise.  
Being bold suited her more.  
While in the form of the Sheikah warrior Zelda was allowed to drop her royalty routine and be herself…and so Link liked to see her take on the form of Sheik…even though he was not sure if Zelda was still even a "she" or not while cloaked in the shadow of the fallen Sheikah prince…and at times Link thought maybe he did not want to know the truth… he liked to assume Sheik was a girl.

I'm coming too said Chirin "For once I am not going to object to that." Zelda said at the door "After that dream you had I would rather you not leave my sight."

Zelda hurried down the hall and stopped at the inner garden where Impa was watching over Aryll as the girl tended to her little section of erratically planted flowers.  
Zelda crouched down next to her little red haired adopted daughter "Mommy has to go away for a while again, okay? We may be gone for a day or more…Can you be a big girl by yourself while we are away?"  
the Queen had not stayed away from home overnight on any of their small monster quests and was worried if Aryll could handle such a big change. The little girl nodded but did not seem happy to oblige, Zelda hugged her adopted daughter tenderly "Be strong for me okay, and make sure you stay very close granny Impa and listen to everything she tells you, alright?" Impa sighed at the notion of "granny" she both liked and disliked the phrase. For one it made her feel her age, but on the other hand she felt as is if Aryll was her own granddaughter, so she embraced the idea of being called granny.

The Queen went to the bedroom to see if her King was ready. Chirin was there for he had already geared up, he had on the same classic green getup Link used to wear right down to the hat and gauntlets, only over that he wore silver Tenshioni armor.  
Link was about ready to disembark, he was incredibly grateful for Zelda's recommendation that he have the Goron and Zora tunics modified to suit his wings, so he would have them just in case.

Link put on the blue tunic, including the hat since he was not exactly sure how the darn thing even works and did not want to discover the hard way that omitting the hat dispels the ability to breath under water.  
"Yay! My hat is back!" Navi said flying into it, she had made it quite clear she missed Link's habit of hat wearing.

Zelda did not have to gear up, everything she needed came with the transformation "Well now or never I suppose." she said donning the mask "Oh ma not in front me…" too late, Zelda was caught in the painful threshold of the transformation. As the pain subsided the form of Sheik now stood in the room.

The red eyed warrior spoke in a voice that was a blend of Zelda's and the Sheikah prince "Sorry Chirin, I forgot it bothers you. I am so used to it now. Well, Come on, lets go, I don't want to leave Aryll for too long."  
"Wait a second." said Link going to the dresser "Chirin take this."  
"But dad, this thing is huge, and it means I have to leave my shield behind." Link thrust the double helix Oni blade towards his son  
"Take it. I have a strong feeling we will need it."  
Zelda did not like how he said that…  
Chirin latched the sword to the clasp at the side of his armor and followed them out the door already annoyed by the large sword as it bounced off his hip with each step.

They made their way down the long hall and back out to the front room, Sheik paused as Zelda within remembered something "Oh crap, I forgot Ruto! She still does not know it's really me!" the red eyed warrior tried to sneak away to use the back door but "SHEIK!" the fangirlish scream met the Sheikah's sensitive ears "oh god." shuddered Sheik, Link was not the only one whom Ruto had creeped out with her species bending ideas of marriage.

The fish queen came bounding over "My you look the same as ever, where have you been all this tim-" with a precise touch to the side of the face Zelda took off the mask, Ruto seemed to stop in mid air "Good. Now with that settled can we go?" Zelda said flatly as she headed for the front door. Navi popped out of Link's hat "Great, what'd I miss?"

Link was apprehensive to go to the lake for it is where his son's nightmare took place, however it was broad daylight and there was no wind or flames which all contrast the dream's setting…

It made him uneasy to take on this task…but his kingdom needed them, they must answer this call for help.

Link and the others released the horses as they arrived at the dry lake bed trusting them to stay close and out of harms way. Epona and her offspring gladly nommed on the plants by the two scarecrows.

The trio stood at the edge of the empty lake, all the water was gone, drained down to the temple doors.  
"We may get split up" Link said "I have the tunic, and we already proved what Kaepora said about Chirin's abilities when he sent you into a panic pretending to drown."  
Chirin rubbed the back of his head coyly, remembering when he was twelve and ruined their playful outing at the lake with his stupid prank  
"But you don't have a means of breathing underwater, so lets hope we don't have that problem." The hero looked at the temple gates, frowning at the idea of his wings getting soaked…Wet feathers weigh a ton.

As they entered the temple Link found it eerily quiet….there was nothing trying to kill them and there was no water slowing their path.

Link lead the way to the where he fought Morphia in the future that almost was. The hero was very apprehensive despite the lack of monsters because there was one room they must cross along the way, one where events unfolded that still haunt him to this day.

Link has evaded death's hand many times but only twice has death almost completely take him from this world. The second event was with the fire demon…the first…  
The winged hero reached up and put a hand on his neck. Zelda within Sheik saw this and grew worried, Link wore high collared shirts just for the sake of hiding the scar on his throat, concealing this reminder of his near fatality.

The hero's mind wandered back to that day, to the battle with Dark, how the shadow had struck him deep in the side as well as across the chest and arms, each time enjoying the pain it caused the hero.

Link recalled how when he finally thought he'd won, the dark incarnation lashed out with one last dying motion.

He remembered the blackened Master sword biting into the side of his neck, the smile on the doppelganger's face as the shadow hit the ground believing he had taken the hero down with him.  
His mind could still see those red eyes and the devious grin as Dark laid in the mirrored water, dying, savoring his last moments watching Link struggle, enjoying the sight of the hero's tunic soaked with blood and the look in his eyes.

Navi had gone off in a panic to seek out a pink fairy. Link laid there, alone, dying as Navi went to find help. Desperately holding onto life for a pink fairy can only bring one back from the brink of death and cannot help if one falls over the edge.

He remembered how much it hurt when the pink fairy brought him back from the grip of death, the sensation of the rapid healing, the fairy's sacrifice. The physical and emotional agony of that day, the pain seemed to grip him even now…

Link was suddenly brought out of his dark thoughts.

As his mind returned to this world the hero saw Sheik had taken his hand, the red eyes remained staring straight ahead.  
The winged king smiled gently, even while cloaked as Sheik his bond with Zelda was still strong, she knew just what Link was thinking.

He felt better for the rest of the trip, keeping his focus on brighter things…that is until he got to the room is was so dreading.

As the hero entered this room his heart grew tight…what laid before him was not what he was hoping to see. After defeating Dark In the future that almost was this room became like all the others they had been in…

Link grew worried as he looked at the endless expanse of mirrored water and fog to either side. His eyes locked on the door across from him…once again, between him and the exit, stood the tree on the island in the middle of the room.  
"I hate that tree" Navi said.

The winged hero walked past the tree with his family, they knew not of what this room was. He cringed to see them marveling at the beauty of the sea green sky and glistening water, he knew all to well that the beauty of this place was deceitful.

The winged hero put his hand on the knob…the door would not open. The feeling in Link's chest deepened and became cold. The scar on his neck began to throb with the beat of his heart

He turned around.

Propped against the tree was the shadow of himself, solid black with eyes glowing red.

"But how…" Link whispered in his state of foreboding shock.

"I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me huh?" the shadow said as he took a step closer and materialized into his flesh form with his black hair and dark clothing. " I thought I had seen the last of you as well …when your son here killed Ganon." his last words held spite.

"But as it turns out Ganon was not the only one who could create me from the essence of… you." he said putting snide emphasis on his last word. "Oh and I just cannot wait till you find out who my new master is, I think you will be oh so surprised. I know I was… quite pleasantly surprised." Dark said with menacing joy as he walked to one side swinging the sword.

Dark stopped and looked at Link's wings "Ah yes, those obtrusive things, thankfully I was crafted from your old self, I am no mangy half breed." Link took offence to his tone.

"Oh and by the way" dark said gracefully spinning the sword with one hand "it seems my new master knows a few more tricks than old Ganon seemed to have…would you like to see?" Dark said with his old devious tone.

From deep within the mist two new forms appeared, ones that made Link's blood run cold.

"My master made me some new friends to play with." the shadow grinned cruelly.


	19. Chapter 19 Death by Shadows

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviant art . Com /art/Zelda-Fanfic-Dark-vs-Shiek-197517338

Chapter 19: Death by Shadows

"Holy crap" Chirin said, staring at his double.  
Zelda was not at all happy with what the warrior's red eyes were seeing.  
Of all the foes Link has faced the only one he ever spoke of with trepidation was his dark incarnation, and now the entire family would have to share in his turmoil.

"Leave them out of this!" Link commanded in a now strong voice.

"Fraid I can't do that, master's orders. But Don't worry, we won't kill you or son, that pleasure is reserved for my master…we just get to beat you senseless." the shadow turned to face Link, his grin grew wider "…The Sheikah over there however….is toast. The best part of my assigned task is to make sure you watch your princess die."

"I'll take you on myself you bastard!" Chirin growled calling forth his grand wings.  
The prince and rose from the ground and up to the high ceiling unclasping the Oni blade, eyes on Dark Link.  
He put his hand up to the tip of the sword prepared to have the blade taste Tenshioni blood thus awakening the powerful light held within.

But before the winged teen could realize it there was an attack from above. The boy was completely taken by surprise, he fumbled through the air and hit the ground hard. The prince sat ankle deep in the water the tips of his wings getting wet.  
The Shadow of Chirin was above them, it had also taken on a Tenshioni form.

"ahh yes, I forgot" said Dark Link "My new master knows this trick as well, we can follow transformations you take…useful ones at least" he said once again bad talking Link's wings.

The winged dark child went back to its place alongside the others.  
The three shadows stood side by side menacingly staring down their prey, enjoying the psychological torment of their opponents waiting to be attacked.

Chirin motioned to strike again but Link held up his hand, not taking his eyes off the shadows. He had learned the hard way to never make the first move when it came to the likes of his blackened incarnation.

Dark looked over to Navi and grinned showing his teeth "Oh yeah, the bug, another thing I forgot. I have a friend for you to play with this time as well."

"Oh dear gods!" Navi said as she fled from the red and black fairy screaming her poor little lungs out. Believe it or not this is the first time Navi has ever been the focus of anyone's attack, danger has always been oblivious to her presence and she had no idea what to do other than run and scream.

Dark took a step forward "Now with your little healing friend distracted lets get started shall we?" With a cruel smile the shadow of the hero attacked, as did his new "friends."

Link needed to focus on the battle in front of him but his attention was torn by the plight of his family who each were in the grasp of a cruel and heartless double. He had never imagined this day would come, that his family would face the same trial he did in the future that almost was.

Link's attention was most focused on Sheik for the shadows intended to kill the Sheikah and thus his princess here and now.

But Sheik was more than up to the challenge as the warrior managed to land a few blows across the face and arms with the long knife before the black Sheikah landed one of its own across the left leg.

Chirin was actually doing quite well considering he had never battled one on one in the air before, his only training with Kaepora was through his magic.

The Prince knew what spell to use, it was the same as his father achieved via blood pact with the Oni sword, but he could not find an opening long enough to cast the spell.  
The shadow figures knew full well of the attack Link pulled last time, they were not going to give the Tenshioni boy a chance to use it and they knew Link had lost that power long ago when his forms became blended.

Dark took a huge lunge at the hero, his blade caught in both the hero's shoulder and in the arm of Link's wing. The damage to his shoulder was more minor but the angle of the sword caused it to bite in deep into his wing tearing flesh nearly hitting bone.  
Link pulled away fighting the urge to cry in pain, knowing it would only bring Dark pleasure. The white feathers of his wing became red with blood and the wound throbbed with each heart beat.

The winged hero sharply dodged as the shadow came in for another swing, Link rebounded quickly and struck Dark low and hard.

The hero landed a blow across the shadow's legs before Dark could dart away. The doppelganger looked down at the red that dripped down his torn limbs glancing up at Link with a smirk.  
The shadow lashed at the hero again enjoying this battle even more for the hero proved to still be a worthy opponent.

As the battle continued Link found himself back to back with Sheik "We may have a better chance this way" the Sheikah said "you fight mine, I'll fight yours, our skills are different so we may be more efficient if we do not fight ourselves."  
"But what about Ch-"  
"he is a strong child" Sheik said cutting him off " I trust him to hold his own."

Meanwhile Navi was still screaming.

Link began to close in on the dark Sheikah, having fought Sheik for practice he knew what to expect and was fairing well against the shadow. The Hero's sword dove deep into the dark figure's arm causing it to recoil in fury as blood oozed from the wound. Link had the upper hand.

Chirin was now basically playing doge ball in the air above, the prince's double had resorted to using magic to try and snare his prize. But if there was one thing the teen excelled at it was aerial acrobatics and he effortlessly stayed one step ahead.

The dark winged doppelganger grew frustrated and went back to the use of his sword, lunging at the winged prince who used the Oni blade to block each blow, multicolored sparks lit the air as metal met metal.

And Navi was still being chased around…and was screaming.

Sheik had yet to land a blow on Dark aside from the large poisoned needles which the Sheikah soon learned were useless on this creature. The long thin knife was a traditional Sheikah weapon but it was a disadvantage against Dark's much larger sword.

Sheik dove in for a close range attack, the long knife in hand, prepared to bring down the evil version of the King.

"Now this will be fun" Dark Link said " I am allowed to actually kill you so long as I make _him_ watch." he stated with much pleasure.

Sheik went in for the kill, with a precise and well planned move. However the attack was foiled for the Sheikah never saw Dark's next move coming.

The evil shadow sharply cast aside his shield and leapt into the air, deifying gravity in much the same way as he does when landing on Link's sword. The shadow of the hero effortlessly back flipped high over the shocked Sheikah landing behind with the blackened sword held in both hands drawn and ready.

Through Link's own fight he had watched as all this unfolded.  
The hero's heart grew cold as the sense of emptiness gripped him and would not let go "No!" he cried out.  
His voice caused Sheik's momentary shock to cease and the Sheikah moved…but it was too late.

Sheik gasped in shock and pain, unable to move, afraid to move, blood soaking the sash that bore the clan's symbol.

"Opps…I missed my mark.  
I was supposed to take your heart" laughed the shadow of Link as he stood, holding the sword in place poised behind Sheik.

"No! mom!" Chirin cried unable to do more than glimpse at the scene below through his own fight.

…Navi had quit screaming….

The dark blade had been completely run through, impaled in the Sheikah's flesh.  
The sword was coated in blood as half the length of the blade protruded where chest met shoulder.

"No!" Link cried out again, his entire focus on Sheik, abandoning his own fight to go to the red eyed warriors aid.  
But the dark shadow of the now mortally wounded Sheikah grabbed Link from behind with an unnatural strength. The cruel shadow effortlessly held his sword arm back with one hand and held the knife to his throat with the other.

As Link stood restrained a searing pain took over him, the deep sense of loss and darkness began to grow and rip at his heart as he struggled to get free, failing as the dark Sheikah held him and the blade bit into his skin.

"Good." said the shadow of Link "Just hold him there for a while, I want to see his face."  
Dark slowly pulled the blade free of Sheik's flesh as he watched Link's horrified face. Sheik tried not to cry out, the scream caught in clenched teeth.

Blood poured forth from the wound, when the sword was held in place it acted like a dam and now the blood was unleashed in an unrelenting torrent.

As the blade slid completely free the Sheikah warrior collapsed to one knee holding the wound at the chest futilely as blood still stemmed from the back.  
The mirrored water slowly became red beneath the stricken warrior.

Dark took much pleasure from Link's expression…the hero was helpless.

"I loved the look on your face when you thought you were dying." Dark said walking over to the restrained hero. The shadow snatched the hat off Link's head and used it to wipe Sheik's blood from the sword. He stood there, smiling triumphantly into the winged man's furious and frightened eyes before walking away, tossing the blood smeared hero's hat aside.

The feeling of loss and darkness within Link began to twist into something foul as he fought the unearthly strength of his captor.

The shadow went back to finish the job.

Sheik was struggling to get up, still holding the wound with one hand, the fingers of other braced across the ground. Zelda within was fighting to get the red eyed warrior's form to respond through the pain and weakness she now felt.  
The Sheikah failed to stand as the injured left leg slipped outward and the warrior slid chest first into the water.

The Dark Link walked over to were Sheik laid holding the wound, straining to keep head above the water so as not to pathetically drown.

The shadow stood next to the red eyed warrior and held the sword menacingly above the helpless figure.

"Lets see what expression you make when I kill you dear friend here."

"No! Mom!" Chirin screamed his voice full of agony, eyes filled with tears as he tried to get closer. The boy was knocked aside by his dark double and had to stop to block another blow from his relentless foe.

Suddenly the voice of the wind sage gripped him "Chirin! Get out of there now!" Kaepora's voice sounded, the empathic gift of the sage had ripped at his chest as he felt the events unfold from afar.

"I know you have not mastered a multiple move and that it hurts to use but you need to get out of there! Focus on where I am and call Farore's Wind NOW! You must trust in the power you have or the world ends here!"

Chirin did not hesitate. He brought his hands above him and focused on Navi, his father and his mother. A green glow formed around each and within an instant the four of them were gone leaving behind the dark figures.

"Well…that little brat just ended our fun" The dark Sheik said walking over to Dark Link "and I was only just starting to understand why you enjoy this so much."

The blackened Sheikah grinned, leaning up against Dark's side, hands on his shoulders, face close to his. The dark shadow of Link put one hand around the shadow Sheikah's waist as they grinned into each others sly faces.

"Oh we are not done yet." He said with a smirk, the dark winged boy shared the same expression.


	20. Chapter 20 Suffering Souls

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-Fanfic-Don-t-Leave-Me-197597217

for the end of the chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Gerudo-Garb-197621617

Chapter 20: Suffering Souls

Farore's Wind carried the group to the middle of the Gerudo Desert. The green glow set them down in the golden sand under the multicolored sky of the setting sun. They landed right alongside the Wind Sage cloaked in the wolf's form.

Chirin laid on his back wings spread wide, panting in pain as the drain of the magic he cast hit him hard. Farore's Wind is considered a last ditch effort of escape for it leaves the wielder helpless until they can recover, and a multiple move like he just pulled is considerably hard to do.

Link shot up from where the spell had dropped him, red feathers from his wounded wing falling behind him as he and ran to Sheik's side.

"Zelda!" he said not caring that she wanted to be called by the warrior's name in this form. The Sheikah was flat on the ground, holding the wound on the chest and uttering sounds of pain as Zelda within tried to force the body to sit up for gravity was causing the blood to flow more freely in this position.

Link scooped up Sheik and propped the red eyed warrior in his lap and over one arm. The Sheikah tried to breath slow and calm for now it felt as if the blade had in fact nicked a lung…

"Can you take the mask of?" Link said  
"No!" the voice of the sage said as the large wolf came closer, shading them from the glow of sunset, nose hovering just above them "That will only worsen things. Have you forgotten? Wounds sustained with a mask stay with you when it is removed. Sheik's body is stronger than Zelda's, she has more of a chance in this form." the sage looked around "Where is Navi?"

Chirin could see the little fairy in the sand, he forced his weak and aching body to get up and he crawled over to where she had been dropped.

"Over here." the Prince said as he scooped the little ball of light off the ground, she wasn't moving "…is…is…she dead?" the boy called in horror "No she is still glowing, my guess is she passed out from fright, but, damn it, without her we cannot call a healing fairy!"

Link ripped the already torn sleeve off his tunic and pressed the ragged cloth hard onto the chest wound, Sheik's muffled cry made Link's insides twist.

The hero held his princess cloaked in Sheik close and tight, holding the wound on the Sheikah's back to his body applying pressure to try and slow the bleeding.

"What do we do?" Link turned to Kaepora fear and sadness in his voice "Do you have to do to her what you did to me?"

"No." the sage said wincing at the mere request "This is a normal wound and we have some time. If I remember correctly Nabooru's tries to keep one of the rare pink fairies on hand for use at the Gerudo training grounds, at least I hope she does, that place can be seriously deadly." Link involuntarily twitched, he had experienced what the sage meant first hand trying to get the ice arrows.

"Link get on my back and hold Sheik close and tight…if worst come to worst I can mer-" the sage stopped "Just get on my back,"  
the wolf said as he not only laid on the ground but tried to burrow the lower half of his body into the sand so as to get his back as low as possible.  
"that choice may not have to be made."  
he did not want to have to think about binding another soul, it would harm Zelda in the same way it did Link and the hero needed her to be strong for his sake…and there was a good chance the merge would fail…

The great white and silver wolf took off across the sand under the glow of twilight forming around them as the sky faded from the color of flames to the color of night, the skyline adorned with white stars and pink clouds. The beauty of the world around them seemed to both mock and compliment their situation, twilight comes just before the death of the sun's light… and Zelda was now caught in a twilight of her own.

Chirin forced his weary wings to cooperate and followed close behind, still holding Navi. The boy had stayed calm all this time but now panic for his mother was really starting to sink in.

Kaepora tore through the landscape knowing that more than one life laid on the line right now, for if Link lost Zelda the soul trapped in his torn form may just die along with her.

The Gerudo ran screaming at the sight of the giant wolf looming on the horizon backlit by the glow of the dying sun. The guards closed the gates as quick as they could but the grand wolfose just jumped clear over them.

The wolf landed with a skid slamming his body against the raised patch of earth so his back was level with the land above. The Gerudo guards surrounded the giant animal poised with spears ready to strike the beast.

"Wait!" Nabooru cried out as she arrived and realized Link was atop the animal, its white fur red where Link sat at its shoulders….  
She then saw who was in his arms…and why the beast's fur was red."

"Oh dear gods." Nabooru said rushing to help.

Chirin showed up panting, out of breath "Mom" he said in hushed panic landing at his mother's side "Mom?" Nabooru's replied now looking at the handsome stranger with puzzlement "Yes Link said, this is Zelda's disguise, now help me, she is going to die!"

"..Link" Sheik said with a tremor of pain coughing up blood, the blade had hit a lung.  
"shhhhh don't talk, I don't want to loose you, I can't loose you… My princess…please don't leave me…" Link said drawing his loved one within the form of Sheik closer to his heart, brow resting against the Sheikah's dandelion gold hair, eyes closed. Zelda looked up at him through the warrior's deeply sad red eyes.

"Follow me, quickly" Nabooru said "I only have one fairy, I am lucky to even have it." Link slid off the wolf with Sheik cradled in his arms, gripping the wound tight to his body as the blood soaked his tunic.

Chirin followed not far behind, carefully carrying the still listless Navi in his cupped hands.

Kaepora looked on with a heavy heart….if Link lost her there would be little hope for the hero's soul.

Link followed Nabooru to their medical unit by the training grounds. The Gerudo queen signaled for Link to put Sheik on the bed but instead he sat himself on it keeping his princess close, applying pressure on the wound to the chest with his hand and the back with his own body.

Sheik had grown very pale, eyes clenched in pain, breath rattled with the sound of loose blood. Zelda within was fighting to keep her mind in this world and not pass out.

"Are you ready to face this?" Nabooru said with great concern, she had never used a fairy on some this close to death, and she had seen how harsh their treatment could be on lesser wounds.  
Sheik merely mumbled, eyes closed, head shaking yes in response.

The Gerudo opened the jar and the fairy went to work, giving up its very life force to mend the Sheikah hero, performing the task that these little fairies strived to do.  
They lived waiting for the chance to die in the act of saving a hero.

Sheik screamed as the wound began to close, stiffening in agony, feeling the pain of the wound's rapid healing and the sensation of the fairy's death as its life force was passed on.  
Link held the Sheikah tight in his arms, tears in his eyes, Chirin was at the door shaking with Navi regaining consciousness in his hands.

The poor boy has now watched both his parents nearly die.

Sheik's screaming ceased as Zelda within finally lost her grip on fighting the pain and fell unconscious.

The wound completely healed leaving behind only a scar and the blood on their clothes, the little pink fairy was gone.

Link sat and held the relaxed and quiet form of Sheik who held his princess within, not bothering to brush away the tears that stained his face or address the blood that soaked his clothes.

He then, while still holding the listless Sheikah, leaned over and laid himself and Sheik down on the bed atop his one good wing and folded his injured wing over the both of them.

Link closed his eyes and slept alongside his princess, their closeness mending the unbearable torment and loss his soul had just faced.

Navi was awake and made a motion as if to go and sleep in Link's hair but as she looked to Chirin she instead flew to him and went back to his hands, the boy needed her more right now.

Darkness fell on the land and cast its shadow over all, including the troubled hero and the form of a Sheikah beside him.

When Link awoke he found that Nabooru must have taken Chirin to another room, she also had left bowls of soup by the bed and a change of clothes for each. Sheik was still asleep.

Link sat up and stared at his princess who laid in the guise of a Sheikah. He reached down and gently brushed aside the hair that covered one eye and smiled as the last sense of darkness washed away within. Sheik was perfectly okay which mean his princess within was also just fine.

The hero stood up and winced, he had forgotten about his own injures, all of his focus before now was on Sheik. Link looked at the sleeping figure on the bed and remembered the additional agony caused by the pink fairy's sacrifice…They were only to be used in cases of life and death, the creature pays the ultimate price in the act of healing. The person healed pays a price as well for the act often hurts more than the injury.  
Link resided himself to letting the wound heal on its own even though it was rather deep and hurt greatly every time his wing so much as flinched.

The Hylian hero took off his bloodied clothes, there was some scraps of cloth and bowl of water which he made use of to clean Sheik's dried blood off his skin and he did his best to clean the wound to his wing and get it bandaged with the supplies he found around him.  
The hero swore under his breath as he did so, not just because of the pain but also because this injury, even if it had been healed with a fairy, would result in yet another addition to his collection of scars and it seems this one may just end his hopes of ever flying again…

Link put on the Gerudo garb, Nabooru had arranged for him the most masculine pants she could find along with shoes and a belt. She was unsure what would work with his wings so there was no top to be found in the stack of clothes and so the huge scar on his chest was left for the world to see.

He took a sip of soup but then got a bright idea…Zelda never did clarify the whole Sheik's gender thing. Link is a solver of puzzles and the fact that this one puzzle has a eluded him so long left him overly eager to solve it.

As the hero approached Sheik and made a motion for the sash "…don't you dare…." the weak voice mumbled, eyes remaining closed. Link recoiled his hand as if it were on fire. "Now leave me alone….I need more sleep…" Sheik said, rolling over, chest against the straw mattress.

When Sheik awoke some time later the Sheikah sat up in the bed with a bit of a headache. As the red eyes adjusted to the darkness of night and the soft candlelight the princess within saw Link's new clothes for the first time and stifled a laugh "what" he said harshly, a little uncomfortable in such clothing.

The high bundled top of the bloodstained sash over Sheik's face was pulled down and Link could see a smile "It looks good on you, it makes your Oni marks all the more handsome." his princess within said, Link's expression softened and he blushed.

"Nabooru left clothes for you too."

Sheik looked down and saw the state of the bloody clothes and the tear in the shoulder.  
"Oh I won't need them, you should know as well as I that the masks seem to somehow recover lost items and mend clothing when removed, I only wish they also took wounds with them, then I wouldn't have had to feel the sacrifice of the fairy." Sheik said.  
Zelda felt bad for pink fairies. They lived with the intent of giving up their lives, dying happily at the aid of a hero…perhaps the reason it bothered her so much is because she knows she would do the same for Link…

"…I still would like to see it on you…" Link said coyly turning away.  
"Fine." the red eyed being said, "But as Zelda not as Sheik, the Sheikah prince has his own dignity you know…besides, my dress is not well suited to the desert anyway."

With a precise touch to the side of the face Zelda was now sitting there.  
Her appearance was a sight for sore eyes as Link walked back over and sat next to his princess on the bed looking at her with a weak smile and relieved sad eyes. Zelda smiled back at him and put her hand into his, the hero did not need to say a thing, his expression spoke to her heart, saying "I was afraid I had lost you."  
Just the touch of her hand alone set everything right within Link's world.

Zelda stood and picked up the Gerudo clothing.  
"Now are you going to tell Chirin I am okay or are you gonna watch me change?"  
"…I would like to watch…"  
"Just go get Chirin!"

"Seriously, he can wait for stuff like _that_ till we are back home." she mumbled in an amused tone under her breath as Link left.

Link left the medical unit to track down his son. He was surprised to find the wolf of Kaepora still outside, laying in the sand under the starlit sky.  
It was hard to tell since he was a wolfose but Link was sure he saw Kaepora's typical warm smile.  
And indeed the sage was smiling, immensely glad to see Link in good spirits again so quickly and amazed at how his bond with Zelda could mend his tormented spirit so swiftly.

As link approached he realized for the first time that, the wolfose wasn't cold, the situation was so dire before that he never noticed.  
"Kaepora, I thought a magic winter followed the wolfose?"  
"hmmm?" he said not expecting this question "Oh, Yes winter does follow the beasts, but apparently not transformations. It seems that I can borrow their form but not their power. No bother though, I am still immune to the heat that would kill me otherwise. In fact I have learned something new about wolfose, they seem to lack any notion of temperature at all, in this body I felt the same at home as I did in the desert."

Link cut him off before the sage could continue rambling, remembering how long winded he could be as the owl.  
"So, what did you learn in the desert?"

The wolf narrowed it's eyes and brought its face in closer "Well nothing much yet! This takes time, I just don't walk around and hear voices I have to stop and reach out to the spirits and magic of the land…and it seems that the desert is awash with a deep and complex history and I am having a hard time keeping events in order…"  
The wolf pulled his head back away from Link's face "But I did hear something, something about Ganon was not what everyone claimed him to be, something of a divine beast and dark interlopers banished from this realm…I was only just starting to unravel this confusing web of history when I was alerted by your little crisis." the wolf said settling back down.

"The world cannot speak to me unless I stop and listen but with my emphatic gift it sure as heck can grab at my chest and alert me when those I am close to are in danger…tis both a gift… and a curse I must endure…" the wolf said head lowering, remembering when the fire demon struck the land of snow and the pain he felt as his comrades were taken from this world.

"Link, if all is well here I shall return to my task." Link nodded and the wolf began to walk away "Please don't go anywhere till I figure this out. The foes you faced today worry me greatly for only Ganon should be able to create such incarnations, something is terribly wrong in the world and for now you must play it safe. Stay close to home and do not go seeking danger, things will be bad enough if danger seeks out you."  
His words left a haunting tone in the air as the creature disappeared into the night.

Link began his search through the fortress to find Chirin, when he did find his son he leaned against the door and smiled "Dad…help…." the boy said sounding defeated "This is worse than playing dress-up with Aryll." Navi was flying around him giggling.

The teenage boy was surrounded by Gerudo girls of about the same age and younger. They had somehow convinced him …likely at knife point… out of his Hylian tunic and into Gerudo garb, one was tying his shoulder length hair back into a high pony tail while another arranged a chain headdress and jewel on his brow.

One of the girls came up to Link holding a similar jewel "May I?" she said giddy and blushing in front of the Hylian king, another held a hairbrush gleefully. Link looked to Chirin who was not happy being held captive by these girls  
"Ah why not." Link said sitting next to Chirin  
"Dad….!" he said further undignified that his father agreed without the girls even resorting to the use of threats.  
"Aww lighten up, think of how delighted Aryll will be when we show up looking like this." he said smiling childishly.

When Link returned with Chirin he was met with the sight of Zelda in soft pink Gerudo clothing and her with the sight of them. They all smiled…well aside from Chirin, his brows were furrowed as he glanced up at the jewel they had adorned his head with.

Zelda walked up and ran her hand through Link's hair which was now in a proud ponytail with jewels around the base that matched the chains and large jewel of a Gerudo crown.  
Link smiled, he reached one hand out around her exposed midriff and scooped her closer "Ya know, the girls are probably still there, I bet they would love to play with your beautiful hair." Zelda hugged him. Chirin stepped out of the room, too much mushy stuff for his taste, Navi however was sighing like a school girl reading a romance novel.

Morning came. Nabooru loaned them use of her tribe's horses as she and her best guards escorted them back to the lake to retrieve Epona and her kin. The desert folk then further followed them to the castle just to be on the safe side.

The castle market town was a bustle with onlookers who stared in awe over the sight of royal family dressed as and escorted by Gerudo knights and royalty. It was indeed a grand and somewhat intimidating sight.  
As they paraded through the town one of the Gerudo knights was eyeing the crowd for possible suitors to come back for later.

As they made their way to the castle a guard altered Impa that they had returned. As the elder Sheikah came out with Aryll the little girl ran up to the group of Gerudo delighted to see "auntie Nabooru" again.

The little girl's delight only grew when she spied her family and saw what they were wearing. Zelda got down from the horse and the little girl flew into her arms.

After the initial joy of being reunited with her family Aryll touched the jewels that adorned her father and traced the patterns in the cloth of Zelda's vest with her finger while giggling happily. The sight was indeed very sweet for Aryll was also in her heritage's clothing.  
Link snuck up on his adopted daughter while she was distracted with her mother's new look and snatched her up into a big hug, the girl laughed and wriggled, playfully trying to get away as Link made monster noises.

Zelda smiled at the sight, glad to see that her brush with death did not break her hero's spirit.


	21. Chapter 21 Bloodlines

This was a hard chapter to put together and I fear my plot it is a bit too "off the wall" _; I had a hard time getting my ideas to fit...just bare with me, this all makes perfct sense by the end of the story, even if it seems a bot far fetched at the moment

Chapter 21: Bloodlines

The family did as Kaepora asked and stayed at the palace despite the calls for help.

The Kokiri forest was overrun by deku babas, the Gerudos were having issues with leevers, Kakariko Village was on a nightly lockdown due to poes and Death Mountain had an infestation of fire keesee. However oddly enough the lake was back to normal…

Link did not like leaving the fate of his kingdom in the hand of his soldiers and he very much wanted to help his own people but each upset was likely a trap…the fact that the water had returned to the lake shortly after their ordeal served as further proof that the water temple had indeed been a trap laid out for them to fall into… he could not afford to fall into another.

And so the hero did what he could to prepare for further trouble without leaving home.

Impa began sleeping in Aryll's room at night in case of an attack, they were not going to have another kidnapping, at least not without a fight. Impa may be getting old but she is still far more capable than any of the soldiers.

Link sent out messengers to each of the sages to alert them that trouble was brewing. He asked them to keep on their toes and to stay put until they learned more about what was going on and who was behind this.

For now all they could do was sit and wait for word from the Wind sage…and wait for the hero's wounds to heal.  
The cut to his leg and shoulder were minor compared to what he had faced, but Link was fairly downtrodden over the deep gash to his wing.  
In all these years he had not given up on finding a way to restore flight… but now his hopes have been further dashed for he could feel a stiffness forming as the wound scarred over and his wing would no longer fully cooperate….

Days became a week, but out in the desert Kaepora was making progress.

The sage in wolf's clothing had been following the voice of the land for some time now, as he made his way to the Spirit Temple the tale it unfolded became all the more deep and complex…and disturbing.  
He could scarcely believe what he was hearing...the land at times may hold secrets from those who can understand but it also tells no lies.

Kaepora made his way back to the feet of the great colossus, the Gerudo figure entwined by a hooded serpent that also marked the place of the temple.

The wolf needed to hear more and time was of great importance but he also needed rest, he had hardly slept in all this time and he needed a clear head to unravel this strange and complicated tale.  
The wolfose lumbered his way up to the colossus preparing to settle for the night inside the protection that the temple offered.

He was ready for some much needed rest… but before he could reach the door the sage was forced into an uneasy sleep.

Something struck the great wolf from seemingly out of no where, the crack to the head sent him reeling to the ground. As the wolf lied there he could feel his mind slipping, and he cursed himself for letting his guard down.

Kaepora could not see his attackers. With the last of his consciousness the wolf lifted his throbbing head to try and look in the direction where he felt the attack had come from …and then he saw, the man of black feathered wings.  
"No…" the wolf uttered knowing he can't be out of commission in a situation like this "not now…"

Kaepora lost his grip and fell into a deep state of unconsciousness. The huge wolf laid motionless on the gritty steps of the Spirit Temple.

The words of the entire realm of Hyrule and beyond flowed into the sage as his mind laid open to the world, caught in a state far deeper than sleep.  
It wove for him a tale of twin witches, a child raised to be a king of two worlds, of a dark power in another realm separate from this land, and of a twisted fate that was woven between worlds torn asunder.

As the sun rose the listless and quiet form of a giant wolf could be found in the desert.

Suddenly the huge beast stirred, sitting up in one sharp motion before nearly toppling over again.  
Kaepora's mind had regained a grip on this world.  
The wolf had awoke with a start, head pounding from the pain of his wound and mind throbbing with the history and truth the spirits of the land unleashed upon his mind like a torrent of water from a broken dam.

He looked around, the land was awash with the light of dawn.

Kaepora was amazed to find himself in one piece save for the blood that soaked the fur down the back of his head and neck where he was stuck.  
He was even more amazed to find that he was still where he had fallen "Was he unable to take me because I was so large…but then why didn't he just kill me? Did he think I was dead…?"  
Kaepora did not like this turn of events, normally when a villain decides to leave a victim alive it is because they either have a worse fate planned out for them, or need to use them like pawn some time in the future...  
"What if just sharing what I have learned plays right into his plan…"

Back at the palace the family was restless and tired…that night, the same night Kaepora was struck, Chirin had the dream again…  
Only this time he would not stop screaming as he sat with eyes wide and unseeing, gripping at the center of his chest where the blade in his dream had run him straight through. This time the dream had lasted longer, it left him pinned to the tree at the center of the lake, dying impaled on the blade.

Link was greatly worried, one should not be able to feel pain in a dream and yet he too felt a great pain from the nightmare that foretold the day when Ganon made his move…what troubled him most was that Chirin always died in his dream.

It was nearly sunset, the family was in the main hall by the fireplace quietly mulling about in a sleepless stupor. Aryll was not spared from the dismal cloud that covered her family this time. She had run to Chirin's room when he was screaming in the night, Impa unable to catch her before she witnessed the deep horror on her brothers face and heard him screaming as if he were dying.  
She was too young to understand what was going on but she shared in her family's emotions and sat quietly along with them.

"Link" the sage's voice reached him. "The time has come for you, your queen and your son to come to me. Have Zelda bring the Sheikah mask, we may need it.  
The land has told me a tale of great unrest and it is too complex for me to relay in this method. It is best we speak in person, here at the true Wind Temple below ground…meet me in the room with the paintings of the dark winged man.  
I am sending Yubreit and a dragon named Kia in your direction. They will arrive just before day break. Please disembark as soon as possible, for now please try to get some sleep."

Link got up and looked to his family, Chirin heard the sage's words clearly and Zelda had heard them too only at more of a whisper. She was emotionally close enough to Kaepora to create an empathic connection, but their bond was not as close as what the sage had with Link and Chirin for they both had taken on the Tenshioni form thus making their connection to Kaepora all the greater.

After an uneasy nights sleep the dragons arrived and the team headed out, Link on Yubreit, Zelda on Kia, Chirin by his own wings.

It was early twilight as they came near the same range of mountains that houses the desert to one side and the land of snow to the other.  
As they approached, something…something was silhouetted against the dark golden clouds.

Huge wings were beating in the sky, the webbed wings of a bat though what they were attached to was far more fearsome than that.

It was a huge wyvern, a kind of dragon with the arms serving as its wings. The great beast's flesh and wings were the color of blood, it's hide obscured by black armor.

The two ice dragons and Chirin halted at the sight, the teenage boy's eyes grew wide, as did the others when they saw what rode on the fearsome beast's back.

The armored dragon roared "Steady now Argorok. You will get your turn when the time comes." said the young man, his black feathers shifting in the wind.  
The man of black feathered wings was not much older than Chirin, but he contrasted the boy greatly, he had shaper features, darker skin and a thicker build along with his red hair and gold eyes.

The man of black feathered wings said not a thing to the warriors that stood before him. He only smiled and stared at them with is familiar fire colored eyes with his long unruly hair blowing in the wind.  
The fiend smirked at the sight of Chirin and the look of deep terror in the boy's eyes as he gripped at his chest.

The dark skinned figure then did the unexpected, he did not attack. Instead he steered the red dragon towards the desert and to the Spirit temple.

Link went in pursuit atop the ice blue dragon but Zelda steered her mount to cut him off, Kia held Yubreit at bay "No Link, that is what he wants. He wants us to fight on his terms. He did not attack us here, let us be grateful that we have more time."  
Link stared at the figure as it flew away, every fiber of his being wanted to go after it, but in this case wisdom overpowered courage and Link knew she was right.

They continued off to the land of snow, the hair on the back of their necks still standing on end and keeping a strong lookout in case their foe decided to do more than just intimidate them.

As they arrived at the wind temple Link was met by Kaepora's son "My father is waiting for you below…I assume you still know the secret passage in the mountain correct?" "Yes, we can find our own way there, thank you." He said to the young man who looked awfully worried.

When they got to the passage Zelda went ahead and donned the mask knowing they had to make their way through the place and she was unsure if the monsters still remained. It turns out that all they had to do was follow the same route through the now frozen underground temple to the room where the fire dragon was slain. Zelda mumbled over having transformed for nothing and chose to just stay this way for now since the transformation hurt so much to take.

Kaepora was laying on his back on the floor looking up at the portion of the mural on the ceiling, grand wings spread out to either side. His long white hair and silver armor glistened in the pale light that came in through the holes above.

As link got closer he saw why the sage's son looked so troubled, Kaepora's head was bandaged and he could see the wrappings were red at the back of his head and his hair was stained with blood.

"Have a seat." the sage said "What I have to tell you may take a while." he said not getting up or taking his eyes off the ceiling.  
Link was a little amused by the sage's words, even as the owl he tended to be rather long winded.

Sheik sat down first, Link came and sat down behind his warrior-guised-princess and folded his wings forward cloaking them both in warm feathers. Zelda within Sheik looked back at him highly amused by his clever little idea to keep them both comfortable and then snuggled up against him.

Chirin remained in his cold-loving winged form and plopped down on his back next to his parents. He had been around Kaepora far more than any of them, the boy knew the sage had a tendency for talking a lot and was prepared to nap on the floor if he had to.

"We all settled yet?" Kaepora said, he had remained laying down, not wanting to move thanks to the splitting headache that haunted the blow to his head.  
The sage sighed and began his tale.

"I can scarcely believe what the spirits of the land have told me, but the land holds only truth and tells no lies of the words spoken and events that have transpired. Everything that is done or said is recorded within the essence of the world, if the land keeps no secrets it will speak freely to those who can hear it…and these paintings serve as further proof of what I am about to say.

The Twin Witches painted them here when Ganon took this place as his own private resort…they portray the prophesy of another realm. I wanted to relay the tale here, here under the physical proof of what I have to say."

The group looked at the murals, at the images of a man with black wings, a figure similar to but also unlike the one they had just met.

"Please listen with open ears and an open mind as I retell the seemingly absurd story the land has granted me. It took me much time to accept this truth myself….

Ganon was not a Gerudo at all…he was one of the dark interlopers."

With his first words Link and Zelda already struggled to believe his story.

"As you may know he was raised by twin sisters Koume and Kotake, the Gerudo Witches. These same Witches are the ones Link faced in the future that almost was but did not kill in this time line.  
Their combined form with its size, it's power and it's beauty, Twinrova, is considered by the spirits to be a devil's child for Twinrova gains its power by tapping into another realm… a world of dismal light where the shape shifters known as the dark interlopers were banished to long ago."

Link twitched, remembering the line from the demon's prophecy…raised by a devil's child…

"With a unique power only they seem to have the twins are able to connect to another realm, one which stands completely alone alongside the one we dwell in.  
This realm holds the shape shifters, the dark interlopers, whose twisted sense of magic caused a great imbalance in this world.

Link you know of this power all to well for you have not only met the true dark interloper Ganon… You have also meet the two individuals who eluded the original banishment, timeless creatures of great power who were crafted by the dark ones.  
The fire demon was one of them, the other creation was Majora, the very same shape shifting devil that nearly destroyed Hyrule's sister land of Termina.

You also met yet another creation of a dark interloper…" Kaepora said looking to Link and putting a hand to the side of his neck.  
The hero's eyes grew wide when he realized what the sage meant and put a hand over the scar on his throat as he spoke  
"So you are saying he's a creation of a dark interloper…That day we fought the shadows, you said that our foes worried you for only Ganon should be able to create such incarnations…which means our enemy is also one of these shape shifters."

"Yes, though I fear it is far more complicated than that, and to understand you must first know of Ganon's story.

A life time ago, before the future that almost was, before any of you were born. The Twin Witches told the malevolent people in the realm of darkness that they had just enough power to take one person, a small child, back with them through the veil. Their goal being to raise this child from the world of darkness in the world of light, thus creating a shadowed soul who belonged to both…  
They would create a being who could bring the world of Hyrule into a deep enough darkness to rip a seam between each realm, allowing the dark interlopers to return and claim both worlds.

This shadowed realm is filled with a race of beings known by many names; devils, dark interlopers, shadows, shape shifters…  
The devil's have a unique and dark sense of magic. They are able to take on the shape of any race with their true form being a dark beast, as you saw with Ganon. However they often settled on the form of a Tenshioni for magic within my race is naturally strong and thus they gain even more power in a winged form.

The twins were given son of the people's meanest and strongest warrior.  
The witches returned to Hyrule with the young boy at a dear cost for helping another pass through the veil shortened their combined lifespan, hence why they had to use the child to unleash the rest of the devils.

Together they would nurture his malice and harness his power to raise him into a fiend like the world had never known.

At first they raised him in secrecy deep within the Spirit Temple for the boy's constantly shifting appearance made it obvious that he was not of this world.  
But the boy grew too powerful too quickly for the Twins to handle on their own, even in the form of Twinrova whose power was that of the dark interlopers.

Realizing that he was far stronger in certain forms, with his Tenshioni guise being the strongest, they took the drastic act of locking away his ability to shape shift… essentially clipping his wings for they would never appear again. Their actions left him only with the form of a Gerudo and his true beast which they did their best to suppress until he grew old enough to understand and cooperate with them.

After this act they passed him off as the first male Gerudo child in their recent history, by doing this they could shoulder some of their burden on others and not have to raise the boy entirely on their own.

The Gerudo tribe was intrigued by the child, for generations the results of a Hylian father and Gerudo mother had always been a daughter. They found the sight of a male Gerudo so captivating that they never questioned this "destroyed sister clan" that he was born from.

The tribe accepted the child with open arms trusting Koume and Kotake who stood as their wizened leaders.

And so the boy had been stripped of his identity as a dark interloper and was raised as a Gerudo king, and in time he also took over all of Hyrule.

When Ganon took the Triforce of power his was able to tear a seam between Hyrule and the world of dismal light. However only he was able to pass through this tear, none within could make it through.

The fact that the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage resided in souls so pure kept Ganon from bringing the world of Hyrule into a deep enough darkness to unleash the interlopers.

He did however make use of the fact he could enter this world.  
Ganon spent much time in the dark realm, creating the many evil creatures he threw into Link's path, and ruling it as their king alongside his reign over Hyrule.  
He very much loved the way of their land and grandly awaited the day when all of Hyrule would reflect its blackened glory.  
The former dark interloper was welcomed with open arms as their savior for he would release them all…And it was in this realm of shadows that Ganon had claimed his future queen.

This other realm is separate from our own, it was not affected by the jumps in time. This other realm is unlike Hyrule, its time works and moves entirely differently.

During the time when Link grew up and raised a child of his own… the son of Ganon was be raised in this realm of shadow."

Zelda gasped in shock, and Link's heart froze. "Those eyes…" Link said "Those familiar flame colored eyes…"  
Chirin sat up and stared coldly with little Navi cupped in his worried hands.

The sage continued his twisted tale

"Koume and Kotake were not slain in this timeline, regretting their defeat and the loss of their surrogate son they went back to retrieve another despite the cost.  
When they returned they found themselves a wonderful gift, a small child revered by the people of this land of shadows.  
The orphan son of Ganon, the boy who was saved from the lifeless womb of his mother after she took her own life in grief over the loss of her king."

"Born of a mother dead…." Chirin uttered as the story began to make sense.  
The sage nodded.

"This time they left his shape shifting abilities intact, despite the fact it meant the child was far more powerful than they could hope to control physically. They instead raised him in a twist of mind games to keep him under their thumb, fueling his desire and keeping his focus on tormenting and killing the ones who had slain his father and bringing the world into darkness.

They brought the young boy into this realm not long after Ganon was killed by Chirin, by bringing him here they could again raise a child of darkness in a world of light and thus create a second shadowed soul.  
He has been in this world ever since, growing with our timeline, shifting shape, sometimes hiding in plain sight…Spying on you all, learning your weaknesses, both your physical and emotional ones…He intends to destroy Link and Chirin in the cruelest way possible.

It is he who will fulfill the prophesy of his dark and hateful land.

A demon of black feather wings will arise. Born of a mother dead and mothered by a devil's child. As the Hero of Time of the Child chosen by the Goddesses rest in their untimely graves the world shall come to an end at his hands.

….Let us hope that the rulings of our land of light can overpower those of his…let us hope that this dark future does not come to pass…However…"

The sage paused, his eyes grew intense

"Dragmire's power is more pure than Ganon's… he may succeed where his father could not."


	22. Chapter 22 Sheik

Chapter 22: Sheik

Kaepora let out a heavy sigh as he sat up and saw their exasperated faces, he could tell that was a lot for them to take in.

Link looked at the mural, at the man depicted it, this was not the man they just met "Kaepora, years ago as we spent the night in this room my companions here thought these appeared to be a dark version of my Tenshioni form…however at the time I thought this looked like an older version of my son.  
We just met Dragmire, this is not him."

"You faced him?" the sage said in shock.  
"No…he taunted us to follow, but Zelda held us back."  
"A wise choice, this man is manipulative and cunning, and very patient. He will wait till just the right moment. He wants to be sure to hurt you in the greatest way possible, following him likely would have been playing right into his plan."

"But Kaepora, what about the paintings, why do they look like my son!" he said growing worried, the sage looked at him and then to the paintings "Koume and Kotake must have painted them according to the visions they saw. The image of the savior of darkness and the savior of light must have blended when they saw the prophecy in their mind's eye. Let us hope that this means that neither fate is set in stone and the tide could turn in our favor…"

Link looked to the mural, still disturbed to see Chirin's face blended with the form of their enemy.

"Well, you may as well sit back down." the sage said "There is a bit more to this, and it ties into something we must do if we are to prevent Dragmire's plan.  
My tale before about the world of dismal light and dark interlopers has not reached its end…" he said rubbing the back of his head and swearing as he saw his palm was red with blood.

"This tale goes deeper, back to when the dark interlopers were sealed away. Seems the four guardians of light of this world were the ones who had issued the banishment along with the world's sages at the time…and they did so with the aid of something known as a sacred beast. The land seemed confused about this 'divine animal' the feel I got about it was that the sacred beast was more than one thing retained within one mortal shell. What is was, what it looked like, where it came from, I am not sure…

But the divine animal was killed before the job was complete and a pair of the dark interloper's creations evaded banishment.  
The fire demon and Majora.

With their comrades gone their task was to lay in wait until it was safe to start a dark spiral of destiny that would lead to the return of their creators.

The land spoke of a prophecy that lead to their banishment, more specifically to one part, a part the dark ones focused on. It was foretold that a being of wings and a being of red eyes together would keep the dark interlopers downfall in place, and so each set out to destroy the people who fit this description.

The Sheikah and Tenshioni had lived on borrowed time since the day of the banishment. The two devil's who evaded capture were fugitives being hunted and thus they could not strike right away. Being timeless creatures they were able to lay low for a considerable amount of time. Memory of them vanished and through the next generations, one by one, the temples were not appointed new sages…  
As you well know each temple eventually laid empty and in the end it took the actions of Ganon's darkness and Link's courage to bring about the awakening of the sages we have now...  
But the acts of the past were sudden, there was no chance to find and awaken new temple guardians, and as the chain of power once held by the sages laid broken only the light spirits were able to pursue them.

Of the two threats they failed to capture Majora was the greater of two evils, when the dark creations reappeared the light guardians went after him first…but they never returned from their task.

The spirits of Ikana refused to tell me everything of the land's past when I was last there as the owl…I was lucky to retrieve what information I have…"

The sage paused and thought to himself _"…I was only granted this information because the sprits knew Kakariko was my son..."_  
Kaepora pulled himself out of his sad memories and continued

"I suspect the light spirits must have pursued Majora into Termina for the monster's task was to destroy the red eyed beings.  
I am fairly certain it was Majora that struck the Sheikah and killed the Tenshioni warrior alongside Sheik. I think they, Sheik and the Tenshioni together, somehow sealed the beast away into the mask before they died…thus fulfilling the prophecy… for a being of wings and a being of red eyes together ensured Majora's downfall…."

Kaepora stopped and sighed, it hurt to talk about his eldest son…It happened generations ago, but even living through several lifetimes caught in a cursed form cannot completely erase the haunting feeling of loosing a child…

"I must go there, I must make the spirits of the land tell me what happened to them. This son of Ganon is trying to bring darkness to the world and without the guardians…he could easily do just that. His power is more pure than Ganon and we need to restore the light guardians to keep his darkness at bay. You saw what Ganon did to Hyrule in the future that almost was, Dragmire can do far worse."

Kaepora stood up and walked away from them looking at the painted wall.

"I simply must go to Termina. I must know what happened to the light spirits, I must find a way to get to land to speak to me of the events they withheld…" he looked to Zelda  
"I have an idea that may work, one that may get the voices of land to open up to me.  
Perhaps they will speak to a member of the race born in Ikana."

"You don't mean?" Zelda said still in Sheiks form.  
"Yes, please, if you would be so kind your Highness…the land would not speak to me as the owl and so the same would be true of the wolfose…but maybe the land of the Sheikah's birth will talk to me if I take on the form of Sheik. If the spirits see I have a direct connection to the land's history then maybe they will share this history with me."

Link had a funny look on his face, he was not sure if he liked the idea of Kaepora being Sheik instead of his princess.

"Link" the sage said "you need to come too, your son as well just to be safe. The evil of this world wants the both of you, they will leave your loved ones alone knowing you are not here. They want to cause you anguish and to them it is no fun if you do not witness their deeds."

"Zelda" Kaepora said looking at Sheik who still sat there "Please child, I know the mask and the form of the Sheikah Prince means a lot to you but it is the only thing left that we have not tried." Sheik sighed, with a touch to the side of the face the form of Zelda now sat there with the mask in hand. She got up and handed it to Kaepora.

The queen went back and sat next to her king, arms crossed like a little kid who just had their favorite toy taken away. Link was rubbing one arm not sure he was liking all this either. Chirin and Navi were just plain curious to see how this all played out.

Kaepora put on the mask. The pain of the transformation gripped him, he lurched forward as his wings began to vanish, his hair became gold and eyes became red. With a flash the change was complete.

The four onlookers stared in awe…this was a Different Sheik.

Like when Link became the Goron, Zora, Deku and Tenshioni the appearance of the spirit who was healed during the creation of the mask blended with the appearance of the person who used it.  
Sheik's form as they knew it before was the Prince Sheik's aura merged with Princess Zelda's, cloaking the body in a new shape.

The figure that stood before them was taller, the eyes were a little older, skin a bit lighter, and the body was just as androgynous in appearance as before.  
The golden hair was longer and had a high cowlick to both sides like Kaepora's hair versus just to one side Like Zelda's.  
The outfit had changed to reflect Kaepora's Tenshioni armor, for now silver Sheikah armor adorned each shoulder along with a metal plate over the tops of the lower arms and front of the shins. Atop the high collared sash was a silver chest plate with the red Sheikah symbol engraved into it, and everything was held together with brown leather straps and gold buckles.

The new Sheik stood there for a moment looking quite grand and impressive… but then began to shiver as Kaepora within felt the freezing air hit Sheikah skin.  
This was the first time Kaepora has ever felt cold as a negative sensation "Gods, do you always feel like this?"  
Link and Zelda looked exasperated to see the form of Sheik shivering, it was so out of character "Only when we are here." Link said "I told you, we Hylians and half-breeds…and Sheikah… enjoy being warm." Chirin sat for a second and then laughed.

The new Sheik accompanied them to the castle by dragon back. Kaepora figured it would be a good idea to just prepare for the trip along with them and spend the night outside the land of snow so as to get well acquainted with this new form and the sensations that came with it.  
The wolfose form he took may lack the magic winter but being a magical beast of snow it also lacked any notion of temperature, as did the owl. This body however was a sensory overload as Kaepora experienced the warmth of a summer in a positive way for the first time.

As they arrived outside the palace Zelda braced herself, she was not sure how Impa would react to this.

Impa did not know either.

She stood there shocked, staring at her princess then at the new Sheik.  
"This is too weird." she said with eyes that went "uhhhh" and walked away not turning back "…ahh that went well…I guess." Zelda said.

"Well" said the princess "I guess I'm out of the picture this time. We cannot leave Hyrule without both its king and queen …You boys do whatever you need to do. I am going to spend some much needed time with Aryll, she has been shaken up ever since she walked in on Chirin's nightmare attack…"

Zelda went down the hall, leaving the three alone in the front room.  
"She called us all boys." the hero said.  
The sage let out an exasperated "Huh?" Kaepora was looking at Link sorely confused  
"She's been keeping Sheik's gender from me. I guess now I finally know."  
"Uh, Link, I was born male, to be honest I have no clue what the rules are when a mask is the opposing gender, she very well could cause Sheik's form to reflect her own body chemistry."

Kaepora stood there for a minute and then scowled at Link "…damn it, now I want to know which one Zelda-Sheik is."  
Navi laughed, Chirin however was long gone…all this talk about his mother was really creeping him out.

As the three of them prepared to their journey they went down to cellar to pack some food for the trip to Termina "Dad. Are we talking the horses?" "Yeah, you on Fillea and him on Phantom. Epona may be a bit too old to rightfully take her but…the poor old girl acts so heartbroken when I leave her behind on short trips that I think it would hurt her more emotionally to leave her behind than it would harm her physically to bring her…besides this is a leisurely journey and I can walk part of the time." he said as he packed his favorite snacks, sneakily grabbing a few things that were almost out of stock, claiming the last of these food items before the others saw them.

It was now sunset, The trio had fully prepared themselves for their escapade which would start the following day. They now went out to the back of the palace to prepare the horses, planning to leave them fully geared up overnight so they all could get an optimum amount of sleep and still leave at the crack of dawn without delay.

"Daddy!" Aryll yelled, running through the field and over the fence, Chirin hollered "You know mom does not like you in there…and where are your shoes? Impa why do you let her do this?" the elder Sheikah smiled "Because it was me letting your mother be who she wanted to be as a child that made her strong enough to survive what she went through. And Aryll being born a Gerudo is already growing into quite the warrior princess." The girl giggled and hid shyly behind her granny feeling bashful and giddy having heard such praise.

Impa looked over to the new Sheik and crumpled her face, but then sighed "I have to admit Zelda did have some help. That mask got her past the limits of her body but it's her strong mind and spirit that really mattered and won in the long run, it was her soul that saved our hero over here after all." she said playfully shoving Link's shoulder as she walked by. "That girl can survive anything, nothing gets her down.  
Come Aryll, go find your shoes and lets go inside. We are having supper early tonight, your father has to go to bed early if he is to leave at dawn tomorrow."

"You are going away?" said the little girl unhappily as she climbed back off the fence and ran over reaching for Link's arms, he bent to one knee and hugged her close "Just for a few days sweetheart, we will be back soon, and mommy is staying here this time." Aryll went to Chirin and hugged him to.

That night after their meal Impa and the Kaepora Sheik spent quite some time in her study, going through her history book to try and find some clues to what happened in Ikana.  
But that piece of history had never been recorded and seemed to be forever lost.

Kaepora's first night without wings was… interesting. He kept dodging doorways expecting to hit them with wings that were not there and for the first time in his life he actually wanted to sit close to a fireplace. The sage in the form of sheik also found sleep hard to come by that evening. Sleeping in this new form felt odd as he normally sleeps without a quilt wrapping himself in his own wings instead.  
He was almost asleep within his twisted mass of blankets when an owl hooting outside made his eyes shoot open.  
There are no owls in the land of snow, this is the first time he had heard one since he himself was caught in owl form…and hearing one made him feel really funny inside.

The group was awake just before dawn and at the first hint of twilight on the horizon the trio headed out.  
With their farewells said the team of three left the castle, Link looked back with a knot in his stomach "This better not have been our last goodbye…" he thought to himself.

As they made their way through the Kokiri forest Link stopped to take care of the biggest deku babas that his soldiers had dared not touch and then went to speak to Saria in person.

Saria turned to see who was visiting and saw the blue ocarina at his belt first, without even looking up she knew who it was. But as her gaze went higher she grinned, this was the first time she had seen him as an adult without his hat, until today he would still wear one around the Kokiri.

Her ever youthful smile was warm and nostalgic as she saw his long braided hair, she walked over and hugged her "little brother" while reaching up to touch his golden locks.

"I kept it long because of you."  
Saria giggled "My little brother is not so little anymore, you do not look the same as you did in those days… but it does make me happy to see you kept your hair the same."

"Saria" he said, "It sounds like we will need the sages again, can you alert them to be on standby? You all can still lend us your power from afar like in the future that almost was. Correct?"  
"Yes…Link, what is going on?"  
he sighed "It is a very long story and I lack time right now, if you must know then Zelda can fill you in. Can you get in touch with her through that trick you use with your ocarina?"  
"Yes…now go, whatever is going on I can see the worry in your face, the faster you take care of this the sooner you can live in peace again, right?" she said with a smile, Link fought to smile in return "Right." he said though deep within he knew true peace was not within his grasp due to his blended form.

The group made their way to the lost woods and Link easily recalled the passage he had stumbled upon that led him to Termina…the land he hoped to never see again.

As they went down the passage Link stayed in the back, hoping the others would not look behind them and see the expression on his face.

The cold emptiness gripped at his chest causing a pain to grow within as they got closer to the land he had watched die countless times during his task to save their world.


	23. Chapter 23 Termina

Chapter 23: Termina

Three figures along with their steeds appeared in the woods at the threshold between the land of Hyrule and that of Termina.

One was Chirin in his Hylian form atop the pinto Fillea, wearing his father's former style of green tunic along with the hat.  
Right alongside him was Link in an earthy green rustic tunic with his exposed braided hair, walking alongside his old graying mare Epona.  
Behind them was the new Sheik in his armor atop the black Phantom, the sage was lagging behind a bit as he studied the landscape, reacquainting himself with the world he flew over as an owl so long ago.

Navi was in Chirin's hat, the little fairy had begun spending more time with the prince ever since that day In Gerudo valley…and not just because Chirin sill wore long hats. She found herself forming a new attachment to the boy. Navi still spent most of her time with Link, but when father and son where near each other she would drift over to Chirin.

As they left the grasp of the forest Link's deep inner turmoil lifted a little, the land before them was fresh and alive. While the hero knew he'd left Termina in a peaceful state his dark and haunting memories had erased all good experiences he had in this land.

Seeing it alive and well seemed to set one more stone into the long road of recovering his inner peace.

The three of them stopped to have supper in a shaded spot of grass. They seated themselves on a hill overlooking the town which sat right in the middle of the land of Termina.

As they unwrapped their chosen food items Chirin saw that Link had a hyoi pear. The prince loves these things and wondered why he did not see any in the cellar.

Link was distracted with a mouthful of food and was staring down at the sunbathed town below, Chirin tried to sneakily reach over a claim it for himself.  
He was just within reach of the green pear when suddenly the boy was met with a face full of feathers. Link had stretched out and snapped a wing at the boy knocking him over. "I Like those just as much as you do, and this one is mine." while continuing to look down at the town he picked up the pear and took a bite.  
Link loves his family but one of his other passions in life is food and one should not get between him and what he loves.

Kaepora in the form of Sheik was trying to stifle a laugh. He had never seen wings used for discipline before and seeing Link use one to push his son over was quite amusing to the wind sage.

With food in their bellies they made their way to Clock Town to stay at the Stockpot Inn for the night.  
They left the horses fully geared up and set them free in the field knowing the animals could be trusted to come when called and to keep out of harms way.

When they passed through the gate Link found the town was far quieter than he remembered, he then realized that this was because the Carnival of Time had already come and gone.

As they walked the town the winged hero wondered if memory of his existence had faded from all who lived here. Many stopped to look at him and Link expected to be greeted by the familiar faces he saw, but then the people would just walk away. The hero realized their reactions were only because of his wings, they did not remember who he was.

As a child Link knew for a fact that all of the good deeds he had done over his repeated three days were restored to the memories of the town on the dawn of the fourth day…however Link passed faces he knew and yet they had no clue who he was, even the now doddering old postman did not even so much as flinch an eyelash at him.  
Link tried to not let it bother him, he was kid in those days, and he had wings this time around after all…of course no one would recognize him in...

As they made their way to the Inn under the dimming light of the setting sun the hero was shocked to hear his name "Link?…" a male voice reached him. As he turned around a handsome middle-aged, purple haired figure was looking at them with red eyes, alongside him was an older teen, a girl with brown hair.

"…Kafei?…"

"It is you! Link!" he said coming over "I saw the green hat on this fellow here and thought he was you till I realized he was so young…and I almost thought no when I saw you because of the wings and braided hair, but, even though you have grown and changed… I can never forget the one that helped me get my Anju back and who saved our world."

The man's words set one more stone into the long road of recovering Link's inner peace. He was remembered, maybe only by one but his deeds were not entirely unsung in this land.

"Are you staying at the inn?" Kafei said  
"Well yes."  
"Then come on home with me, you are my guests tonight, come meet the rest of my family." he said leading the shy and quiet girl by the shoulder.

Kafei was far more cheerful than Link remembered, but then again he only knew the man in a cursed child form in a state of much anguish. It made the hero glad to see Kafei was such a happy person.

As they arrived at the Inn Sheik stayed by the door to give the winged hero time to catch up with his old friend.  
Link and Chirin followed Kafei to the front counter. Anju did not recognize the green clad hero at first "Honey, do you know who this?" She looked at the winged man  
Kafei whispered to her "Hun, without him we would not be a family." she blinked "Link! Oh I am so sorry I did not recognize you." the hero stifled a giggle as she bowed in apology, Anju had not changed.

An indigo haired young man came from the other room, he had red eyes and hair styled similar to Kafei's, his expression however contrasted that of Link's cheerful old friend.  
The young man stopped in the doorway behind the counter "Who the hell are these guys?"  
"Keaton don't be rude to our guests."  
"Sorry mother." he said leaving in a huff.  
Anju sighed "Don't mind him, he's been mmm… a bit broody lately…"  
"And missing a lot" the girl said "I don't know where he goes, he won't le me come."  
"Hush dear" Anju said "No need to bother our guests with family matters." the girl fell quiet and fidgety  
"Well you met Keaton, and this is Angie." said Kafei as the berated teen tried to pay more attention to her hands so as to avoid eye contact with the strangers.  
Link smiled proudly "And this is Chirin, my son." Kafei grinned, glad to see Link had a family of his own "Chirin, Son of the hero. Nice to meet you." he said with a firm handshake.

The group of three went up to their free room for the night, the large one on the end with bunk beds. There were no events going on and no other guests so they got the biggest room.  
"Dad." the boy said, "hmm." he continued to unpack under the glow of the candle on the table "Dad…Kafei has red eyes, so does his son…the only other people I have ever known who have red eyes… are Impa and Sheik."

Link halted and looked over to him, he had never made this connection.

Kaepora in the form of Sheik sat up in the bottom bunk, he was in the dark far corner getting ready to sleep "You're right…" said the Sage "it may be only a coincidence, but what if Kafei is of Sheikah decent? It means Impa may not be the last, the bloodline may not be pure but, still the Sheikah have a unique and strong gene with those red eyes. Even if only one survived chances are the eye color would show up in later generations, even if it skips a few along the way."  
After a short pause Chirin spoke up "Should we tell him?"

"I already know." a voice from the door said.  
It was Keaton  
"Who the hell are you people and how do you know about the Sheikah?" he stormed in acting threatening. Sheik was still sitting on the bed at the far side of the dark room, he stood up and menacingly loomed in the darkness. As he came into the light of the candle Keaton took a step back in shock staring at Sheik's intense red eyes.

"We know a lot about the Sheikah" Kaepora within Sheik said.

The indigo haired man backed away as if to leave but then hit something. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised "Dad!"

"Sheikah?" Kafei said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder and staring at Sheik, namely at his red eyes.  
"I get a feeling there is much for me to know here, including whatever you have been up to, Keaton." the young man shrank away from his father "Sit."

Keaton went over to an empty bed and did as he was told. Chirin was on the bunk above, he laid on his stomach to peer over the edge and looked down. The indigo haired young man peered up at him, he was not amused. Chirin's eyes went wide as he met the angry gaze of Keaton and quickly tucked his head back behind the edge.

"Now, where have you been running off to, you have even been gone overnight. And all this brooding about and how you have been sassing people? At first I thought it was just a phase so I left you alone, but now I catch you talking nasty to our guests behind my back. Spill it."

"Ikana, I have been excavating Ikana with Pamela's father…"

His words sure caught the interest of Link and his team.

"Pamela ran into me in town and was instantly drawn to my eyes. She said they were digging up the past of the forgotten red eyed people, she said they are likely my ancestors and invited me come…At first I went just for fun but the more we dug up the more disturbing things got…And now, all I want to know why no one in Termina even remembers the Sheikah and why they were exterminated!" he said harshly, obviously troubled.

Chirin hopped down from the bed above and landed with a thud in front of the brooding young man, the prince turned and looked him in the eyes "Ikana is why we are here, we know part of what went on there. We need to know the rest, the fate of our world is at stake." He stared at the youth's red eyes with his own sharp blue ones, Keaton was taken aback by the fierce courage in Chirin's eyes and his own expression softened.

Kafei spoke up "Link, you saved my world, in more ways than one, let us do what we can to help yours. Besides, I would like to know more about the red eyes only my bloodline seems to carry."  
"Son" he said turning to Keaton " you will take us to see the scientist tomorrow won't you?"  
"uh, yeah" Keaton said, his tone calmer than before.  
"Good. Well Anju is expecting me in the kitchen, I will fill her in on our trip, minus the Sheikah part, for now at least."

Morning came.  
After a hearty breakfast and a quick tour of Clock Town the five of them, plus Navi, set out on foot for Kafei's family had no horses.

As they traveled under the growing heat of the summer sun Kaepora unraveled the tale he had told Zelda in the wind temple that night while Link and Chirin slept. Only he left out the fact the Tenshioni involved was a prince and thus his own eldest son. He still found that little detail kind of odd to deal with considering Link's state and he did not want to trouble the hero's already unsettled soul.

"and that is what I know."  
"So you are not really a Sheikah then are you?" Keaton said snidely  
"No, I am merely a shadow of one while using this mask, I take on the guise of the fallen prince. But one true Sheikah does remain, in Hyrule, a straight descendant of the royalty of Ikana. Her name is Impa. She is the guardian of the royal family of Hyrule and adopted grandparent of Chirin and his younger sister."  
"Grandparent?"  
"Yes she, well the lineage will die with her and she is as not as young as she used to be. But I digress, we need to get back to the task at hand.

As a sage of wind I can hear the essence of the land clearly while the rest of my kin hear only whispers…but something so terrible went on in Ikana that the land refused to speak to the owl form I was cursed under when I was last here. We must know what went on, we have to find the light guardians."

"Well Professor Pam seems to know a lot about Ikana, he and his daughter have lived there a long time." Keaton said.  
The new Sheik sighed "Whatever went on was so dire that I doubt that anything of these events would have been recorded physically, Impa for one thing was of no help unraveling the past for these events were never added to her family's history book. So I must hear it for myself, hopefully the form of Sheik will help the land speak with me more freely…"

As they got closer to their destination Link remembered something, he turned to the fairy and informed Navi to stay in Chirin's hat. Professor Pam's paranormal research had brought about a strange interest in him and the fairy Tatl as a child and he did not wish to repeat this.

When they arrived in Ikana Link was met with the nostalgia of the gaudy music box house and it's tune "farewell to gibdos".

A female voice reached their ears "Keaton! you said you wouldn't be back today." a young woman said as she approached. Link looked at her "Wow has she grown." he thought to himself remembering the small freckled girl he used to know.

"Yes but, I think we have some information your father is going to find very, very interesting." Keaton said motioning to Sheik.  
"Haaaaa! That symbol!" she said running to him "It's the Sheikah symbol. Who are you?" she said looking at his face for the first time, she gasped "Red eyes! FATHER! Come here quick!"

"What is it dear, you have not hollered like this since you were a child." the white old man said hobbling up from the castle ruins "Oh my!" He gasped pace hastening as he saw what was beside his daughter "A Sheikah, sir, where did you come, are there more of you?"  
"Professor Pam" Keaton said, "let us go inside, he can explain everything there."  
"athem" Kaepora Sheik cleared his throat "after a big glass of cold tea or something, my throat still aches from weaving the same tale earlier." he said. Link was amused by this, for once the long winded owl's voice was tired.

Professor Pam stopped and stared at Link and his wings, he had no idea that this was the boy who had shown up years ago, and Link did not mind this fact all for the scientist's interest concerning having a fairy unsettled him as a child. "And what might you be? My focus is on the Sheikah at the moment but I have never seen a winged man, you may well be the center of my next study."  
Link sighed "It is a long story, my friend here can touch upon it as he weaves his tale."

Professor Pam was writing furiously as Kaepora retold the tale, jotting down every fact.  
"Oh this makes everything so much clearer" the old man said "but alas, it does not help your task. None of my research even with this information ties together with your tales of the monster Majora, sacred beast or light guardians." the group sighed.  
"Well my home is small and humble but you are welcome to stay the night." he said looking at the darkness descending outside.  
"I may have to stay for a few days." Kaepora said in the guise of Sheik. "I need to try and get the land to speak to me, it takes time, and never before have the spirits been so unwilling… I will be outside, untill, well likley indefinitely… meanwhile try to enjoy your visit…" he paused for a second _"I surely am not going to enjoy my stay here..."_ he thought to himself as he got up from the table. The sage opened the door "I can still use my empathic connection in this form to reach you if I learn anything, just don't leave Termina."

Kaepora left the house and leapt up to the top of the cliffs and laid down on the rocks, eyes closed, waiting for the magic and spirits of the land to cooperate.

The following day Link and Chirin toured Ikana a little. Kaepora-Sheik looked down at them from his high perch on the cliff, sitting in what little shade the place had to offer at this time of day. Kaepora decided he did not like summer, even as a Sheikah he was uncomfortably hot and the sage imagined he would self combust if he sat out here in his Tenshioni form.

In the afternoon they bid farewell to their hosts, Sheik above smiled as he saw Link giving Professor Pam a feather for his collection of supernatural material.

During their walk back through the canyon and to the field Kafei struck up a conversation.  
"So as you can see I opted to not follow my family's line of being mayor, I decided to take on Anju's family's line of work and run the inn."  
Link laughed "I too decided to take on my princess's family's line of work."  
" 'Your princess?' that is kind of a cliché nickname."  
Link looked at him with a sly smile "No, it is not a nickname, that is the title she held when we were married."  
Kafei took on a funny look of shock "…Wait? You mean she is an actual princess, then that means… You're a prince!"  
Link laughed humbly "Well, she holds the tile of queen now."  
Kafei blinked "…Which makes you king?" the winged hero smiled wider.  
"And that means you are a prince?" Keaton said looking to Chirin who nodded.  
Kafei was awestruck "Damn…Link, I had no idea you guys were royalty, your clothing and personality sure do not show it."  
Link grinned and rubbed the back of his head shyly "Actually I take that as a compliment, I may be a king but I am a father and fighter first and foremost."

As they got to the Inn the sun was low in the sky and they could smell dinner cooking inside.

The violet haired man stopped outside the door.  
"Ya know, there is one other person who very much remembers and misses you." Kafei said, the winged hero looked at him "I get a felling I know who…do you know where he is?"  
"Well he and his fairy friends sure have cleaned up their act since you saved us all, he shows up in town from time to time but as far as I know he hangs out in the felid outside the swamp, by the huge hollow log.

Link smiled and Kafei smiled back "Chirin, tomorrow, lets go find an old friend of mine…as for tonight..." he said looking over to the Milk Bar "Lets have some fun."

Late the next morning after a hearty breakfast cooked by Anju and Angie the hero and his son took the horses and searched the field outside the swamp.

Link was sad to find his old friend was not there. They ended up searching around the entire expanse of Termina field before returning to area outside of Woodfall swamp.

It was hot and getting late so they stopped to cool down and have a snack in the shade of the hollow log. As the winged hero unwrapped his food alongside Chirin they heard Epona neigh in an unpleasant tone.

The two promptly popped out of the log and found the old horse in hot pursuit of something which had fled into the expanse of bushes.  
"Epona!"  
The horse stopped and came to Link who left her in the hands of Chirin as he went to investigate.

The leaves were rattling as her target trembled.

"Skull kid?"

A head popped up "Who what where?…huh…Link?…"  
the man in green sighed "Epona never did forgive you for stealing her from me."

"LINK!" the skull kid bounded over with joy dancing around, "Oh wow you look like a birdy!" he said taking the tip of one wing, holding it up thus unfurling the feathers. Link sharply folded his wing back down, the Skull Kid giggled apologetically realizing he had crossed the line by touching.  
"soooo who is this?" the imp said bounding over to Chirin  
"My son."

"That makes him another Link!" the imp said while doing a cartwheel. "I simply must share this with them!" The Skull Kid stopped and whistled, two orbs of glowing light appeared, one white and yellow, one black and purple, Tatl and Tael.

"What do you want now you little…wait? Link?" the yellow fairy came closer and got right in his face "Dear gods you got OLD! And wings? Damn, what the hell happened to you!"  
"Hey Tatl, nice to see you again too." he grinned, Tatl was her old spicy self.

Navi woke up and came out of Chirin's hat, Tatl's attention was peaked "Now who in the hell is this little blue twit?" she said whilst invading Navi's personal space.  
"Huh?" she said backing up feeling flustered.

"This is Navi, she is who I was looking for when I got caught up in your guy's mess."  
"So that is why you looked at me funny when we first met on our adventure. You thought I was this twit."

"Link! You cheated on me!" said Navi "I can't be called to the sacred realm without you paling around with some little hussy?" Navi said suddenly incredibly jealous.

"Hussy!" said the yellow fairy. Tael giggled and then got thoroughly pounced by his sister who then pounced Navi as a vicious little cat fight ensued.  
Link looked on wide-eyed in shock as he heard Navi use language he had never expected to hear from the normally sweet and dainty creature.

"Bring it on you little yellow bitch!"

EDIT:  
Bonus scene

http : / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-Fanfic-CH-23-Bonus-199186716

This happens right after Link looks to the Milk Bar and says "lets have some fun"

It is posted separate because it's a collaboration with a fan of my story.

And it does clash with the story a bit since I personally do not think Link is the kind to go out and get tipsy by overindulging on magic milk, let alone drag is son along with him...BUT the nature of the Milk Bar is a big joke for fans so I gave it a go. And if that sounds funny vs offencive then give it a read :)

(I did manage to find a way to explain the effects of the milk so that it sounds less offencive and awful than getting drunk on alcohol)


	24. Chapter 24 Four Guardians

Chapter 24: Four Guardians

Kaepora was at wits end, he had been up there for three full nights and the land refused to speak. On top of this he'd not had a decent meal or nights sleep in all this time. He was hot and tired and sick of the summer sun which burned his Sheikah skin. Each day he had to try and follow the shade as the sun moved through the sky meaning the land was not only failing to cooperate spiritually but also physically.

He had thought the form of Sheik would help but the land treated him no different than before.  
Kaepora contacted Link and said just to wait at the Inn, that he would come to them as soon as Professor Pam was done poking and prodding him asking more questions.

When Kaepora Sheik arrived back in town that night the air was thick and heavy with the heat of the day and he could not wait to take his armor off and lay in a soft bed after his three nights of laying on the ground.

As he climbed the stairs the sage could hear laughing and giggling, he walked down to the large room at the end of the hall. There he found Link, Chirin, Keaton, Kafei and interestingly enough he also found the Skull Kid along with his two fairy friends who were entertaining everyone with their silly antics.  
Navi was the only one not amused, she was hiding out in Chirin's hat. Navi had won the fight but was still irritated by the other fairy so she sought privacy in the teen's hair.

The Skull Kid heard the clanking of Sheik's armor and watched him come through the door "woooo a Shayyyykah!" said the imp as he tipped his chair back and forth, Link looked over to him "Wait you know what a Sheikah is?"

"Yeah…there used to be a lot of them," said the eternal forest creature "but some monster ate up their land up long ago. I was still pretty young, but that is when I made my big friends." he said in a childish tone tipping his chair back too far this time and hitting the ground as his fairies laughed.

"Skull Kid, did you see what happened to the monster? The guardians of light?" barked Kaepora within Sheik, he could not believe that the imp within these mere minutes had already supplied them with more information than he was able to gather from the land within days of time.

"I 'unno, the monster disappeared in a big white flash and then the Giants appeared." said the imp laying on the floor with his feet in the air holding his toes.

"The Giants!" Link said getting up nearly knocking the table over with his wing, "Why did I not make the connection before!"  
"The Giants?" Sheik said  
"Yes! There are four of them! They must have been cursed by Majora as they vanquished him!"

Skull Kid got up off the floor and back into his chair sitting in it sideways as Tatl and Tael sat on his hat "My friend's are what now?"  
"Light guardians, from Hyrule, You have been to Hyrule, the fairy boy taught you Saria's song in the Lost Woods." he said since that is what the Skull Kid remembered of him.  
"Oh! I remember that pretty place, it's really nice." the imp said with a smile "But wait…you are going to take my friends away…" he said sadly.

"Now Skull Kid." Kafei came over to put a comforting hand on the forest child's shoulder "You have many new friends now, if you have to let them go you won't be alone. For one thing your little fairy friends here are as timeless as you are, they can stay with you till the ends of the earth."  
The fairies landed in Skull Kid's hands "Yeah you still have us" said Tatl "some times you are a real pain in the neck but we have no plans to leave you."  
Skull Kid giggled "Well if it will save that pretty place I like so much, then okay…I hope I at least get to so goodbye though…" he said, voice still a little sad.

"But how do we change the Giants back to what they were" Chirin chimed in

"You mean heal them."  
The Skull Kid said reaching over and poking at the ocarina on Link's belt, the same one he stole once before. Link put his hand over it and the Skull Kid pulled his away giggling shyly.

"The Song of Healing? It is worth a try…if Oath to Order works still then I can call them from the top of the clock tower…it would takes days if not weeks to get to each of them otherwise."

"Uhh only one problem" Kafei said "…the festival is months away, you cannot get to the top of the clock tower otherwise…no one can, you can't even climb it."  
Link grew worried "But that is the only place it works."

"umm… you have wings?" Keaton said.  
Link sighed "Yes but, I am afraid they are only for decoration…it is a long story and my friend here barely touched on it…but when I ended up merged in the form of two races my wings became too small to carry me…" he stopped and blinked "Come to think of it, Kafei, why have you never asked about my wings?"

Kafei laughed "After I got turned into a little kid and watched a moon with an angry face try to destroy the world along with all the other crap I saw go on here, your wings did not strike me as being that odd."  
The hero laughed in return, hearing him say this made Link feel a lot better considering the stares he got upon arrival to the town due to his wings.

"Dad, I have wings, I can get you up there."

"um…Chirin" Kaepora said within Sheik "have you tried transforming since we got here?"  
"um, no."  
"…Try it….now"  
Chirin did…but nothing happened, the boy went into a panic.  
"Calm down, it is just because we left Hyrule, the goddesses created both lands but they descended upon and settled within Hyrule so the Triforce is tied to that land. It is just laying dormant within you for now."  
Chirin was still worried "Then how do we get my dad to the top of the tower?"

"I was born with wings, my wings are mine and mine alone, not granted to me through the goddesses. I am the one who has to do it."  
Link and his son grew tense, the severity of what Kaepora said was lost on the others for they knew not of the Tenshioni's issues outside of a land of snow.

"But if you release Sheik's form won't it hurt you?" Link said in shock "I mean it's the dead of summer, even I am uncomfortably hot right now."

"Only if I remain in my winged form too long, I should be able to fly you to the top of the tower and get the mask on before I fall ill.  
Come on, lets do it, tonight at midnight, the finial hour."

"The neighbors are gonna love this." said Kafei sarcastically.

The group sat there with a strong look of resolution on their faces…that is until Sheik's stomach growled causing his face to turn red "…Um…is dinner included in our stay here, I have not eaten a proper meal in days. Professor Pam kept trying to feed me his experimental recipes…" Sheik said meekly rubbing the back of his head, Keaton laughed because he knew how bad the old man's cooking could be.  
"Sure, no problem, Anju always makes enough to share. Link, lets go see if the stew is ready yet, we can camp out in the kitchen for a while if it is not."

Anju was down stairs cutting potatoes, Angie was off doing laundry "It's not quite ready yet." she said. Kafei came up behind his wife and leaned against her, arms around Anju, taking the knife and finishing her job as she blushed "Honey, we have guests." she said blushing as she stood within his arms.  
"So, why should we act any differently…it's because of Link that we can even share moments like this. Life is too short to ever waste the gifts we are given." he said turning her around and looking at her with a warm smile, Anju smiled back and hugged him, Kafei returned the gesture and held her tenderly.

Link was leaning against the doorjamb with a soft grin on his face, the sight made him miss his princess, however it at the same time made him quite happy. This scene may be humble but small moments like this are a very important part of the bright future he had restored for this land.

The serenity of the kitchen was suddenly broken by a crash from above followed swiftly by the sound of laughing and yelling.  
The three of them stood there startled and wide eyed.  
"I'd better go see what they are up to." said Link "uhh…me too." said Kafei wondering if he had any right to charge Link for property damages after he had done so much for the land of Termina.

In the dead of night the group stood at the base of the tall tower.  
"Kaepora…are you sure you want to do this, it is still really hot out."  
The sage took off the mask. "I don't have much of a choice now do I?"

Kafei and Keaton stared in awe at the huge wings that dwarfed those of Link.  
The Skull Kid whistled "Wow big birdy."  
Tael giggled "…pfft 'birdy'…"  
Tatl rolled her eyes "…I am surrounded by morons…"

The winged sage handed the mask to the green clad hero and then awkwardly took him under each arm from behind. Kaepora then began to fly up the side of the tower.  
The wind sage was having trouble, he had never done this before and a grown man is a considerable load to carry.

"Oh gods I forgot how much warmth hurts a Tenshioni body, why does it feel so great as a Sheikah and hurts so much right now."  
"Kaepora just put me down this is too risky."  
"No I can make it, damn it if you can slay a fire demon and I can't merely fly you up tower in return then damn it just let my useless ass die here and now." his tone was so severely lacking his usual eloquence as he fought the illness the heat was causing.

Kaepora got Link to the top of the tower and flopped down like a fish out of water and quickly put the Sheikah mask back on, the pain of the transformation only making him feel sicker.

Sheik now sat at the top of the tower panting, Kaepora within recovering "We may be up here for a while…that took more out of me than I thought it would."

Link looked to the form of Sheik who waved a dismissing hand at him "I'm fine, just call them already."  
The hero used the ocarina to play The Oath to Order desperately hoping it still worked and that the risk Kaepora took would not go to waste.

As the song was played the ground began to rumble, one by one the giants appeared, each taking one-hundred steps from the four points of the compass, the center being the tower.

Skull kid was on the ground with the fairies sitting in his hands looking very happy, he would get to say goodbye.  
Navi was peeking out of Chirin's hat, she did not want to miss any of the action regardless of her grudge on Tatl.

Link looked at the giants and they to him. As he gazed upon these strange creatures he hoped his hunch was right and that they were indeed the guardians of light under a curse.

He held the ocarina to his lips and began to play The song of Healing.

As he did the deformed giants melted into a glow of liquid light.  
The glow changed and their shapes became more defined, four creatures still stood in the air before them but now each was a distinct new form and each was alit with a golden brilliance.  
One was a hoofed animal, one was bird, one was a forest animal and one was a serpent.

The figures looked to the Skull Kid who waved at them chanting his farewells as the spirits empathically said their goodbyes to him as well. The imp was awestruck with how beautiful his friends had become and seeing their true forms made him happy to say goodbye for now his friends were much happier than before and were glad to be going home.

The guardians glowed with a great intensity and then were gone. Link stood in shock that they had vanished.

"They went back to Hyrule." Kaepora within Sheik said. "Now we must as well, to lead them to where they belong, they are waiting for us at the gate between the lands…" he said flopping to his back "Now…with any luck I should be able to get you back down from here by daybreak…right now though… I am just trying not to vomit."  
"Wow you Tenshioni do have it rough when it comes to temperature."  
"gee you think." he said flatly with harsh sarcasm not moving "Trust me, we know it sucks, why else would we call it the curse of cold." he said in a exasperated tone.

Link looked over the edge "We are okay…he just needs to recover as Sheik first…wait" Link said looking to the sage.  
"What." the nauseous man said in the same tone an older sibling would use when bothered.  
"uhh, I can glide down on my wings, wanna see if I can carry you as Sheik?"  
"um, no, glide down if you wish but I do not trust your little wings to even support you properly let alone me…I will catch up to you when I can, going down with be a lot faster and easier. I will be fine."

Link glided down ungracefully, frowning as he felt the stiffness of his scarred wing. The others watched his descent "Wow…your wings are kinda lame." Said the son of Kafei having just seen how big Kaepora's wings are "Keaton!" snapped his father  
"What just saying…" he looked down shyly "…sorry."

Link sighed "Yeah they are lame, but they are mine and it is part of the price I paid to live." Kafei and Keaton looked at him with surprised eyes, he had mentioned being trapped in a blended form but he never said anything about nearly loosing his life in the process.

"I stared death in the face and won, thanks to him up there, he bound the same winged form he has with my normal self to save me from a wound cursed to let me die a long and painful death…The cost was a merged form with wings that could not fly and a feeling of dark loss within me…one deeper than what I felt when I left Termina as a child…

I never wanted to come back here, the days I lived in Termina were such a source of pain... But Kafei" he said meeting his friend's red eyes "I am glad I came back, I am glad I got to see you and your family. This trip has done more than restore the light guardians to my land, it resorted a bit of light to my life. I am glad we got to meet again." he said reaching out his hand to Kafei, they embraced in a forearm handshake as each cast a strong grin to the other.

"I am glad I got to see you three again as well." the hero said turning to the Skull Kid who got tears in his eyes and then jumped up and hugged Link "Geez get off him you twit." said Tatl, however just as soon as the imp let go Tatl went and nuzzled under his chin, much to Navi's fury.  
"I am glad I got to see you again too…" said the yellow fairy, Link smiled and offered her his hand and the fairy gladly snuggled into his fingers… Thankfully Navi failed to see this, she was sulking in Chirin's hat.

"Incoming." they heard from above as Kaepora haphazardly flew to the ground and quickly put the Sheik mask back on. Kafei and his kid had not seen the sage change shape above and now they for the first time witnessed the pain caused by the threshold of a transformation.

"Oh Link, did you have to go through that to use those masks as well…?" the purple haired man said  
"Oh that is nothing, try having two forms merged with your soul…the masks are more like a cloak, they change your shape but do not bond with your core…" Link stopped in mid sentence, the darkness was back, it gripped him again, that loss, that pain, "not now…" Link thought fighting to hide it.

"That must have been rough…" Kafei said seeing the look on Link's face and putting a hand on his shoulder, the touch helped the winged hero to pull out of his dark state a little "Yes…and it still hurts me to this day…" Link said, once again keeping the unsettling darkness to himself as he dwelled upon what just happened  
"I was so happy just moments before…why did this strike me so hard…"


	25. Chapter 25 Light and Shadow

Chapter 25: Light and Shadow

The ride through the lost woods the following day seemed long and quiet as Link dwelt on how even amidst such happiness his mentioning of the pain of the past brought about such a spell of darkness…and he worried about how these feelings left him with such a haunting sensation.

The four light guardians took on the form of glowing orbs for the journey. The trio found them as they came into the section of the Lost Words where Termina became integrated with Hyrule.

As they went deeper into the woods and entered Hyrule, one orb separated and headed towards the Kokiri forest on its own. Link sped Epona up to pursue, but Kaepora within Sheik hollered, "It's okay, that one found where it needs to be. Our job is to help the others remember. Well, it's your job. I need to get home…I have some research to do, and I want to give the mask back to Zelda sooner rather than later."

The sage explained, "As we traveled, the guardians spoke with me empathically the whole way. They asked me where the sacred beast was, and I have no idea what they meant. The dark interlopers were herded into and banished in the desert by the light guardians, the sages, and the sacred beast. Together they sealed them away.  
There is a study in the true Wind Temple that survived all the turmoil of the fire demon. I am not familiar with such ancient history, but if a sage of Wind was involved then it is likely that what I need to know is there."

As they left the woods, Kaepora Sheik spoke again. "Would you please join me in my land of snow? I wish to give your princess her mask back as soon as possible since I know she was not exactly pleased to let me use it…If you come along with me then you'd be able to return home with it right away versus having to pick it up later."

As they made their way to the palace the orbs of light followed them like lost puppies.

On their way through the field the hoofed one stopped, it separated from the group and headed towards the ranch. "Well, two down and two to go," said the sage of wind, happy to see another find its home.

As they got to the palace they found that the dragons had remained there just as they were instructed to. The three of them left the horses in the field at the front of the castle and departed immediately by dragon back without even checking in with Zelda.

Upon arrival to the land of snow the three of them went inside planning to rest a bit and have a bite to eat after the sage regained his winged form. Kaepora's middle child, his son, was at the table reading. He looked up at the strange form his father was in and crumpled his nose.

Kaepora removed the mask and handed it to Link. He then went to see his wife about some refreshments.

After a quick snack alongside Kaepora and his son, Link and Chirin were ready to head home. However before they had a chance to leave Luda walked by the door. She stopped, and looked into the room, her gaze was focused on the Hylian price in his winged form with his silvery hair and Oni marks. She was blushing. "Ummm…Chirin could you wait here a minute?" she said scuttling off.

When she returned, Luda carried with her an ivory colored flute carved with an intricate design. She handed it shyly to Chirin. "…Yubreit loves the sound of this…I know he likes staying with you, so I thought you deserved to have it. Please take good care of the flute and take care of Yubreit. Treasure them both for me… okay?" she said as her face grew even more flush. In her flustered state she scurried off, embarrassed to be blushing so hard.

"Wow..." said Kaepora's son who had since quit reading his book. "She loves that flute more than anything. It was a gift from our grandmother… She never lets it out of her sight… Why on earth would she give it to you?"

Chirin looked to the flute and then off to where Luda had gone. He bit his lip gently with a furrowed brow, he then set off to thank her.

The wind sage smiled at the sight, wondering if maybe something would grow from their awkward shyness. Kaepora knew that only the future could say which form Chirin would call his own in the end. The goddesses had, after all, blessed him with a choice others do not get to make.

Link and his son returned on Yubreit and Kia with the light guardians in pursuit.  
When they got back to the palace Zelda was miffed that they did not check in with her first. As she berated them Link handed her the Sheik mask. "You are coming with us, right?"  
She stared at them for a second. "Fine butter me up with the promise of adventure. Yes, I am coming but shouldn't you guys rest first? It is late; you can finish this tomorrow." Link looked to the orbs of light, wanting to complete his quest in one night. He had gone for days without sleep in the past…but he was a lot younger back then. "Fine… just please say dinner's ready."

As they sat around the table the fidgety Aryll spoke up. "I am happy we're eating as a family again," she said with a smile, bouncing slightly in her seat as she picked at her food.  
Her happy little voice made Link feel warm inside.  
Aryll began to stack her peas into little towers. "Honey, please don't play with your food," her mother said. "And why shouldn't she?" came the strong voice of the elder Sheikah. "I let you play with your food even though your father did not care for it." she said, amused by Zelda's blushing.

Towards the end of the evening Impa got up from the table. Link did the same, despite not being done eating. He caught up with her down the hall and asked to talk to Impa in her study.

"Impa…I have something interesting to share with you." "Hmm?" she said sitting in her favorite chair. Link stayed standing since none of the chairs in this room were designed for his wings. "I never made the connection before, but, well, your clan came from Termina long ago, fleeing something."  
"Yes. What are you getting at?"  
"Well, during my trip, I made a connection regarding someone I know who has…red eyes." Impa went from looking bored to looking interested. "I have a friend in Termina with red eyes, his name is Kafei, and it seems he passed his red eyes on to his son. It may be a coincidence, but he might be of Sheikah descent."

"That is interesting," she said getting up. "I suppose to a Sheikah left behind by the clan, our traditions would mean little to them… Their bloodline is not pure, so it does mean I am still the last of the true Sheikah…but it seems a part of us will still live on this world…"  
She sighed, "Perhaps the elders were wrong to uphold our traditions. By diluting our own bloodline more our clan could have lived on in Hyrule as well." She made her way to the door. "Thank you for telling me this. I hope I'll get to see these decedents of my clan before I reach my own end. It would make me glad to meet the gaze of their red eyes."

The night, for the most part, went without incident; that is until Chirin's cries broke the silence of the predawn light, awaking everyone in the royal bedroom wing of the castle.

Once again he sat in his bed, wings called forth and gripping he chest… though this time he was able to calm himself down far faster than before.

When Link and Zelda arrived in his room the boy had already relaxed his state of terror and regained his Hylian form.  
He was still breathing heavy, but the look on his face held courage, not fear.

"Let's head out," the boy said, getting up on shaky legs that were attached to a body that thought it was dying just moments before. "The last time I had this dream Kaepora was struck, and we met the wretch himself…I get a feeling these dreams mean something is brewing. Let's get the light spirits to their lands before he has a chance to cast them into shadow…"  
Link's face did not show it, but inside he was smiling at the sight of his son facing fate with such a collective calm.

The team headed out on horseback, forgoing breakfast. Chirin was fidgeting on his mount. The Oni blade latched to the side of his armor was awkward, but his father had urged him to keep it on hand whenever they left the palace, so he tolerated its presence.  
Zelda was in the form of Sheik. There was a twinge of fear in the princess's chest due to leaving Aryll behind. She tried to remind herself that they had left her in Impa's capable hands, but a mother's worry is quite strong.

Considering the form of one light spirit was a serpent Link thought to try the Spirit Temple first. They stopped for a quick lunch with the Gerudos along the way, since they had missed breakfast. The meal was awkward for Zelda. The Gerudo girls stared at Sheik's form with questions in their eyes, wondering how in the world this person they used to fawn over could be the Hylian queen in disguise.

As they reached the temple, the day turned out to be a waste. Neither of the glowing orbs departed the group, instead each followed them home to the palace.

As Link laid flat on his back in bed that night he stared up at the ceiling, trying to think of which area to try next: Zora's Domain, Death Mountain, Kakariko Village, or Lake Hylia. As he rolled over to lay on his side atop one wing he recalled something that he had seen in the Water Temple.  
There were serpentine statues within.

At daybreak they saddled up with breakfast in hand. Time was of the essence so they ate on the go, skipping lunch this time. Sheik had the ruffled top of the sash pulled down and was somewhat sloppily eating a sandwich with big, ungraceful bites. Link smiled. "Now there is the tomboy I grew up with," he thought to himself.

Sure enough, as they reached the lake, one orb departed and disappeared into the temple. "I wonder if this means our evil shadows can no longer hide in there," Link thought to himself as he touched the scar on his neck.

It was getting dark, but the team very much wanted to get the last light sprit to whatever home it needed to be at. The fact that they had not been attacked in all this time troubled the lot of them. The enemy was up to something, and luring them into a false sense of security must be part of the plan.

They tried Kakariko first, since it could kill two birds with one stone. If the light spirit's home was Death mountain then they had to pass through there anyway, but if it was the village then their task was complete. They left the horses at the bottom of the great steps and made their way into the village.  
Sure enough, it was Kakariko. The last light spirit vanished in the direction of the graveyard.

The trio stood looking to where the glowing orb had vanished feeling quite content to have finished their task. The land was awash with the golden glow of the setting sun as the family of heroes turned to head home…

But as they reached the entrance, a dark figure was waiting for them, propped against the large tree.

Link's chest grew tight and cold as the unrest within gripped him once more.

"What did you do to our hideout you stupid half-breed?" he sneered. "That damned light spirit you dumped off ruined our perfect paradise. You left my little family here without a home." Link's gut twisted at the idea of these evil shadows calling themselves a family.

"Well, no worries. My master can get rid of the cursed thing once he takes care of you. Without the two of you in this world, it shall transcend into darkness."

The shadow grinned as he drew his sword. "King Dragmire is twice the man his father ever was! Ganon was nothing compared to his son." Dark watched Link, expecting a reaction. "Oh well damn it all, someone already told you," he snarked. "I wanted to see the look on your face when you found out the son of Ganon was out to kill your own child…and that he wanted to make sure…you watched each other die!" with his last words Dark flew into battle.

The shadow of Link fought differently than before. His toying nature had faded somewhat, and his comrades also fought with a new straightforward intensity that caught them all off guard.  
The shadows were not holding back this time; they fought with every shred of power their dark master had granted them.

Navi was flying around screaming again as the dark fairy chased her.

Link struck his dark double across the chest, his sword leaving a fair sized gash in its wake. The shadow was unfazed and did not take his usual amusement from the sight of blood. He continued his assault baring down on Link with great intensity.

Some of the villagers stepped outside because of the noise. "Get to the mountain! Now! Just go!" Link hollered, not knowing if Dark would play dirty and take hostages. The villagers fled, knocking on doors to alert the neighbors. They had never heard such a sharp and worried tone from their King.

During his distraction with the villagers Link was struck badly, the sword bit straight through the gauntlet of his sword arm striking flesh below. Link doubled back and continued to fight through the pain.  
As the wound bled and ached, his sword felt heavier and heavier.

Sheik had been struck in the arm as well, but not before striking the dark incarnation across the leg. The two leapt through the air, each landing a blow as they passed each other.

Chirin found an opening to use the light attack, but as he brought the double helix blade to his palm the dark Sheik abandoned its double.  
The shadow Sheikah leapt up, grabbed Chirin's foot, and pulled the winged boy to the ground before tossing him aside with an unearthly strength. The prince crashed into the side of a building landing in a heap of feathers.  
The shadows were not going to let him use this attack.

Sheik raced to his aid as the winged boy struggled to get up, all while the dark Chirin was closing in fast. The prince was not ready to defend against the attack, and the power of the goddesses only protected him from the likes of dark magic.

As Sheik approached Chirin the Sheikah doppelganger returned to its own fight, slicing the red eyed warrior across the other arm with a devastating blow.

The heroes found themselves struggling. Their opponents seemed far stronger and far more focused than before…and things did not turn out in their favor last time.

Meanwhile, Navi was screaming as the dark fairy chased her while laughing manically in its evil little voice.

Navi stopped screaming and then stopped running. "Wait? He….or …she...whatever it is! Can't do much more to me than Tatl did! And after winning that scrap with her I can take this jerk!" Navi went on the assault bouncing off her red double, initializing a fairy throw down as the two pounced each other.

Navi beat the dark pixie senseless. The tattered red fairy laid on the ground, dazed and confused by how the once timid little blue creature managed to turn into such a terror so quickly.  
"Don't mess with me, bitch!" Navi spat as she turned away.

She left the beaten red fairy feeling triumphant…. but her triumph quickly faded into a horror she had never before known.

As the blue fairy went back to be alongside Link, she was met with a fearsome sight. "…Oh…my…Oh goddesses please help us!" she said, immediately leaving, desperately hoping to find at least one of the elusive pink fairies as quickly as possible.

Things had turned dire for our heroes.

Sheik and Chirin were literally pinned to the ground.

The red eyed warrior's back was flat against the hard earth. The Sheikah shadow with its unnatural strength had left the thin, dark knife impaled through Sheik's shoulder. It had been intentionally run through nearly the exact same place as Dark had stabbed through before on the opposite side, this time just barely missing a lung.

The blade went right through flesh up to the hilt. The bulk of its length was embedded into the ground, pinning the Sheikah warrior to the earth as blood soaked the grass.

Sheik tried to pull the blade free, but both arms had been slashed and Zelda within could not force Sheik's body to respond through the pain of shredded muscles.

Chirin had been cruelly pinned on his back with wings spread wide like an insect on display. The dark blade had been stabbed through the arm of one wing, and his own blade was impaled through other, each holding him to the ground.  
The feathers grew red with blood as the boy writhed in agony, back arching from the ground as he struggled to get free. He was unable to reach either blade and was unable to switch forms for his wings were physically being held to this world.

The two shadows, having captured their prizes, double teamed on Link as he tried to stop their cruel acts and save his family.

The shadows had Link flat on the ground face first, his sword out of reach in front of him and shield thrown aside.  
The dark Sheik was above him with feet planted on either side of him standing on his wings, his feathers growing red as the steel toes dug into his flesh. The dark Sheik held his arms behind his back, twisting the one that was injured. The other shadow was sitting on his legs reaching out and slowly plucking small white feathers one by one.

The dark Link stood in front of the helpless hero, grinning in devious delight as the blonde lifted his face from the ground and glared at him with furious eyes.

Link's insides were wrought with pain as the deep unrest within his bound forms twisted his heart. The agony he felt at the sight of his family wounded and helpless, the torment of being unable to save them, caused the inner unrest between his two forms to writhe into something dark and vile.

The red eyed Link walked over to Sheik. At the sight of the shadow's approach the pinned warrior desperately tried to pull the blade free, failing again as the loss of blood was now making every movement weak.  
The Sheikah laid there and looked at the shadow of Link with strong hateful eyes. Zelda within was not going to give Dark the pleasure of watching her suffer; she would face her fate calmly, un-screaming.

Her heart ached at the thought of Link. Zelda's spirit tried to reach out to his to tell him he must survive and to be strong for both her sake and for their children's.

"I am still allowed to kill this one," Dark said, poising the blade above the center of the Sheikah's chest. He was ready to slowly snuff out the life of Link's princess, forcing the hero to watch as per his master's order, orders he was more than happy to oblige with.

Sheik's eyes closed, expression peaceful in the face of death. Zelda within tried to breath calm and steady, not letting the sadistic fiend get any further enjoyment from what he was about to do.

Link watched as his loved one braced for death with such calm acceptance. His heart raced and ached knowing he was unable to save those he held so dear. Link's insides twisted as a darkness began to eat at his soul.

The tip of Dark's sword met the very center of Sheik's chest.

As the scene unfolded before the eyes of the trapped and tormented hero, the rush of darkness within his torn form finally caused something to snap.

The angel lost hold of the demon.

The Oni was set free.


	26. Chapter 26 Demon

Warning: This chapter is more intense than the others, according to what I have seen in anime this still counts as Pg-13, borderline R at worst. (if Fullmetal Alchemist and Black Butler can hold a PG-13 rating online then so can this...) If you think I need to bump my fanfic rating up to M because of this chapter then let me know.

art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-FF-Demon-198370489

Chapter 26: Demon

Dark stopped, something had changed, he could not see it but he felt it. The air was heavy, the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end, and suddenly the joy of killing fled his dark soul leaving an empty sense of dread behind.

Dark stopped short of killing his target and slowly looked behind him.

His comrades were in a heap on the ground shocked, both were staring at where they were holding Link hostage moments before.

The once helpless hero was on his hands and knees face to the ground, breathing heavy. The sound of rasping breath that came from the green clad figure contained a voice that was not his own.

Link's form grew dark, a writhing shadow aura twisted around him like a black flame. As the hero lifted his head Dark was startled by the sight.

His angelic blue eyes were gone, they now glowed solid white with an unholy light and the Oni marks had become distorted and luminescent against his blackened face.

The blackened form of Link shot straight up leaving a patch of golden flame in his wake. He stopped, wings beating against the air as he hung in the sky above, eyes locked with those of Dark.

The pure power of the demon had restored the gift of flight to Link's small wings… This should have been cause for celebration…But this was no longer a hero, this was a demon pure and true and it had death on its mind.

The demon Link roared with a voice that contrasted the once gentle king's soft tone as he dove towards Dark. The doppelganger doubled back calling for aid of his minions.

The dark winged child dove into view, the demon Link growled in response and followed this new distraction.

Chirin could not see what was happening but knew something was terribly wrong and that he must get free by any means necessary.  
He pulled hard with his wings screaming in pain as the blades tore into flesh ripping tendons and snapping bones. With one heaving motion the boy sat gasping in agony as his torn wings laid at his sides drenched in blood and torn to pieces.

The boy's body was struck with a sharp spasm of pain as he dispelled his Tenshioni form so it could heal within him.  
The wings were now gone, however the phantom pain still lingered causing him to suffer with every motion of his body.

He crawled over to Sheik and with hands under the Sheikah's shoulders helped to pry the red eyed warrior from the ground, pulling the blade free from the earth but not from flesh for that would only increase the bleeding. Leaving the knife in place until Navi returned with a pink fairy would help keep Sheik off death's door longer compared to what happened with the Water Temple.

As Sheik sat upright grasping where the blade met flesh the two of them were met with the scene that was unfolding.  
They sat in shock at the sight of Link soaring through the air in pursuit of the dark winged child.

As they flew through the village the shadowed flame that surrounded the demon set rooftops on fire. Smoke filled the air as the golden flames danced consuming half of the buildings.

The demon Link caught up with its prey and dove from above grabbing the shadow and wresting him to the ground.  
The tainted hero pinned the shadow Chirin on his back and held the dark teenage child around the neck.

The dark winged boy struggled and gasped as the demon held his throat. The black flames consumed the shadow figure as Link strangled him. With a sickening sound the dark shadow's neck snapped and he perished disintegrating into darkness.

Chirin and Sheik watched in horror, stricken by the sight of the cruelty that Link now fought with.

Zelda within the Sheikah form was trembling as the warrior's red eyes watched the form of her gentle hero consumed by darkness. The bond she felt with her hero was gone, she only felt this once before when Link touched the hand of death during the merging of forms. That day their bond returned but right now it felt as if Link had died.

The demon of the hero took a few steps forward and picked up the Master Sword all the while never taking his stark white eyes off his enemies. As he held the blade the dark flames that cloaked him blackened the sword as well.

The shadow Sheik and shadow Link attacked together against their new fearsome foe. Dark's face was serious and mean, he was not having fun anymore.  
What he was facing now was just as evil as himself and twice as manic. Link had become a pure and heartless being of death and destruction.

Dark struck a blow to the demon's left arm, the fearsome winged creature did not even flinch as the shadow held the edge deep within his flesh.  
The eyes of the demon narrowed as black flames engulfed the shadow's blade. The doppelganger dropped the sword in shock.

The demon Link kept its glare on Dark as he swung out his sword and took out the shadow Sheikah with one blow across the chest. The full width of his blade gliding through the torso swiftly splitting the figure in two as its form crumbled into the blackness of night.

Now only Dark remained in his sight.  
The doppelganger stood frozen under the demonic glare of the former hero who now stood before him holding a blade soaked in the blood of slain shadow.

Dark backed away from the fierce eyes and found himself pinned against the same tree he had so proudly propped himself against at the start of the fight.

The demon Link came closer, standing face to face with Dark. The tainted hero put one hand against the tree and menacingly brought his fierce and heartless expression closer, keeping the shadow pinned in place with the gaze of his burning eyes.

He raised the sword and held his blade to the side of Dark's throat. Sheik's eyes grew wide as the princess within realized what he was about to do.

Sheik reached out and held Chirin close covering his eyes though the red eyes of the Sheikah seemed unable to look away as the deed was done.

…The end of the sword was now wedged in the tree… with half the width of Dark's neck caught on the edge of the blade.  
The sword had slit half way through the shadow's throat.

Dark slid to the ground sputtering through torrents of dark red blood.

The flesh of the doppelganger faded into a full black shadow as red soaked the earth.

He laid there slowly dying, looking up at an evil greater than his own. Despite his own imminent demise the shadow could not help but grin, seeing the hero tainted by darkness was far more grand than watching Link die. He could see that the hero would be faced with a torment far greater than death.

The glowing red eyes of Dark faded as the shadow vanished into oblivion with a gut wrenching sound.

Sheik's eyes brimmed with tears having witnessed the once gentle hero's intense cruelty.

The dark and menacing form left the blade caught in the bark of the tree and stared at the blood on the ground where Dark had perished.  
The black flames of his wings writhed in the wind which now ripped through the darkness of the night, his blackened form silhouetted against the golden flames of the burning buildings.

The demon turned, his glowing eyes met those of Sheik and Chirin…the cruel creature failed to see friends not foes.

The tainted hero approached them with a gaze that spoke of death and destruction.

Chirin got up and ran for the mountain but when he reached the gate the boy stopped… his mother in the guise of Sheik had not moved.

The Sheikah was just standing there, facing the creature of death as it that walked towards them. Blood was streaming from where the blade was still impaled through the warrior's flesh and the wounds to each arm likewise dripped with red.

As the demon Link approached, Sheik's eyes closed, expression calm and accepting as Zelda's heart ached and raced.

If Zelda was going to die at her hero's hand then she would do everything in her power to try and save his soul in the process. Letting him strike her was the only way the princess could attempt to pull her hero free from the grasp of darkness.

The demon stood for a moment, glaring at the warrior with no sense of sympathy or mercy.

Without uttering a sound the demon sharply reached out and grabbed the Sheikah around the throat.

Sheik struggled to breath as the cruel hands clenched tighter and tighter.

With a precise touch to the side of the face the mask was removed and Zelda regained her true form, the blade now caught in her own flesh as blood soaked the regal gown.

"..L..Link" she grimaced, gently placing her hand to the side of the Link's face as his fierce hands gripped her throat. Zelda's eyes grew dark as his is grasp grew stronger.

The fire within the chest of the demon grew cold leaving behind a deep rooted twisting pain.

The white eyes suddenly became blue again as Zelda's spirit reached the gentle soul of her hero.

As the dark cloak of the demon faded Link's face became awash with immense horror when he realized what he was doing.

The hero let go of her throat and caught her as she weakly fell to the ground.

Link laid her to the grass gently, holding her wounded shoulder above the earth. He looked to her with shock, his heart ached to see the blade caught in her flesh and the fierce mark on her neck. He could not believe what he had just witnessed, his own hands clasped around her throat.

Chirin returned to Zelda's side, he fell to his knees and pulled his mother away holding her close. The prince looked over to Link, his eyes wrought with betrayal and mistrust.

But as Chirin saw the remorseful hero shaking at the sight of his wounded princess… the boy realized that this was once again his father… instantly he regretted his own actions for now he had caused the wounded hero another gash of pain.

Link looked to the flames that consumed half the village as the demon within revealed to him just what had gone on. Link looked to his bloodstained hands, he clenched his fists and smashed them to the ground as he fell in silent agony alongside his princess.

Zelda reached out a weak hand and touched him, the tormented hero took her hand into his and pressed his face against it, his soul too wounded to utter a sound.

Link's breaking soul could not handle a moment more, his mind slipped.  
The hero laid upon the ground with her hand in his and fell unconscious.


	27. Chapter 27 Broken

Art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-Winged-Ones-Broken-198443081

Chapter 27: Broken

Link awoke in the lap of his princess awash in the clean light of dawn. The trio was spread out in the tall grass alongside the brunt remains of the half the village.

Navi in the dead of night had returned with a mere single pink fairy. The knife has since been removed and Zelda was saved from her mortal wounds, leaving the others to heal on their own due to the fact that the little pink creatures have become continually more rare.

The hero was weary and wounded, the cuts to his arm were serious ….But the most critical wound laid deep within, an unseen wound that may never heal.

Link looked up to his princess with remorseful lost eyes, he was still only just barely conscious.  
"What happened…" Zelda said sadly looking down to him, she gently touched one of the red Oni marks "What was that, how could that happen to you…"  
With her words Link's mind fully returned to this world and images of the previous night flashed through his mind.

The tormented hero pulled away from her hand nearly falling to the ground. He could hardly speak through the haunting pain that cloaked him.

" …I …did not want to tell anyone… since the merge I have not been okay. For the most part I was fine…but…"

Link's words trailed off as he sat up and moved out of Zelda's arms and to the grass, afraid to touch her.

Kaepora's voice reached them, his emphatic connection with the heroes had struck him greatly and he was still reeling from the emotions that hit him that night.

"Link you should have said something before…it sounds like the Oni is out of balance…  
I did not expect this.  
This is a worse price than I thought you had already paid…Link You must continue to fight it, don't let it consume you as it did last night.  
if the Oni takes over completely, your soul could be lost forever…"

Link's face grew fallow at the mentioning of the Oni. When he wore the mask gifted to him by Majora, the Tenshioni with the angel half removed, it seemed to eat at his very soul and he could hardly remain in control…  
When his forms became merged the demon became a part of him along with the angel…. but now it had torn away from the angel half, the Oni was breaking free of the balance and it's dark power was fighting to consume him.

Zelda reached out and placed her hand atop Link's. The hero pulled his hand away as if his touch alone would cause her to burst into flames.

The queen's expression was soft and calm "Link, as far as I am concerned that was not you last night…It was not you..."

Link's eyes were dark and dismal  
"Those were _my_ hands!" he snapped, voice cracking  
"…And that darkness is still part me…waiting for its chance to kill…" Link said moving away and turning his body so as not to face Zelda. He could not bear to look at her after what he nearly did that night…he had almost killed her.

Zelda's face grew stern, she stood up, walked over to him, reached down and grabbed Link's arm forcefully making him look her in the eye.

"Link even after the horror of last night I still love you. I would gladly give my life to save you…That is why….that is why I let your demon strike me.  
If I had to face a choice that required me to give up my life so you could live… I would die happy knowing I could save you." tears filled her eyes with each word, she fell to her knees, fists clenched to his shirt sobbing with her head against his chest.

Link sat in shock over her words. As she cried the hero's expression softened, his eyes became lost and sad as he embraced his princess.

Chirin was sitting in the grass feeling heartbroken, Navi was sniffling and crying in his hands.

Zelda's tears ceased though she still held her broken hero close. Link wrapped his arms around her firmly, never wanting to let go. They sat in each other's embrace, resting upon each other's shoulders…Their closeness trying to repair what had been done to the hero's now broken soul.

Some of the villagers had returned under the protection of Darunia, but they ventured no further than the gate to Death Mountain trail.  
They stood in silence trying to understand what was going on.  
Their gentle king seemed broken, his body covered in blood alongside his queen who likewise was splashed in red. The young prince sat in crimson stained clothes and the atmosphere seemed extremely melancholy despite the fact that it was obvious they had vanquished their foes.

Darunia with his burly body silently motioned for them to return to the Goron City, they would return later. For now they should give the royal family some privacy to recover from wounds unseen.

The trio rode back to the palace somberly on horseback.

Link placed his hand over the scar on his neck, his mind lost in thought…he had never desired such vengeance for the death mark on his throat… Or perhaps he did, deep down, and the demon had merely acted on his deepest darkest desire.  
Link shook his head trying to dash that thought, he tried to hold onto what Zelda had said, that the demon was not him, that none of what he had done were his own actions…he had to believe this… even if it was not true.

As they arrived at the palace Aryll ran up to her family but then stopped at the sight of their bloodied clothing, the look on her face made Link hurt all the more.  
Zelda tried to pull up the collar on her dress to cover the bruising around her throat.

Link got down off the horse and just stood there, looking at his adopted daughter with somber eyes.  
Aryll walked up to her father with a soft and sad look. She touched his hand and looked up at his painful expression.  
The little girl then silently and sadly wrapped her arms around his legs and hugged him.

Link fell to one knee and held her close to his aching heart as she hugged him back. If this innocent creature could still love him despite what he had done then perhaps there was still hope for his broken soul.

The next few days were spent recovering physically and emotionally. Zelda's wounds had been healed by a fairy but the king and prince still were in need of care.  
Link's arms were cut fairly badly but the hero had dealt with worse wounds in the past…despite this fact Link spent an awful lot of time just laying in bed.

Link had become quiet and withdrawn. Zelda tried to reach out to him, she tried to help him heal in the same way she had when they were children, but Link was tormented in a far greater way this time.  
In the past hurtful memories and emotions were to blame…  
This time he had been stricken with an inner demon that laid in wait for its chance to consume his soul and kill everyone in sight…  
The source of Link's depression was his own existence.

The image of his hands clasped around Zelda's throat still haunted the hero. Link feared that one day he may have to commit an unthinkable act in order to prevent the demon's wrath from claiming the lives of his loved ones…

His soul seemed to break at the thought of his family dying in the grasp of his own hands…he would rather take his own life than let that happen…

Finally on the sixth day Zelda dragged Link out of solitude and sat him down to have lunch with the rest of them.

Link hardly ate a thing, his gentle spirit was still shaken and his mind kept drifting to unpleasant thoughts.  
He sat in his chair staring at the table with eyes unfocused mindlessly pushing around the contents of his plate with a fork.  
After almost an hour of this he got up, returned to his bed and flopped down face first into his pillow with wings limp to either side.

The sight bothered Zelda greatly, she had never seen Link in such a state of depression and she was unsure what more she could do to help her hurting hero.

Not knowing what else to try she suggested that maybe Kaepora could help. The emphatic connection with the sage only worked one way so they had to go to him to seek assistance.

That evening the trio got ready to leave. They geared up prepared for battle, bows, arrows, the works, including Chirin in his armor along with the Oni blade and Zelda kept the Sheik mask close. This may be a leisurely tip but they were no longer living in a time of peace and never could tell when danger would strike, and the three of them always remained as a group for when the time came…they were determined to face his nightmare together.

Link hugged Aryll close and tight as each said goodbye to his little princess.

They set off for the land of snow via the aid of Yubreit and Kia, the dragons had taken up residence at the castle in light of the current drama.

When they arrived up at the Wind Temple the sun was dipping below the horizon, Kaepora was surprised to see them at all let alone so late in the day.

The sage looked to Link and was hurt to see such an expression on the Hero's face… He invited them inside, Zelda gave her explanation for the visit as they walked to the main hall.

The winged Chirin excused himself from the group, he claimed to be heading to the guestroom he uses when staying on overnight lessons to retrieve something he'd left behind…but in reality the boy was sneaking off to give Luda a gift that he had made to thank her for the flute.

"No I am afraid I cannot help…" the sage said sitting at the table motioning them to join him.  
Kaepora was deeply saddened by the forlorn look in the hero's eyes  
"Link I am dreadfully sorry that the price you paid has become so steep, I knew you would feel a sense of loss as the two forms merged…What I did not foresee was that the balance of the Tenshioni half would be so disrupted by the presence of your Hylian self…"

The sage looked at the hero with strong commanding eyes "Link, would you say that you would have rather died that day." he said sternly.  
Link stiffened in shock "No." he said with a shaken voice.  
"Then fight for what you want to live for!" The sage said bringing a fist to the table, he stared at the startled couple and his stance softened  
"I wish I could aid you in more ways that with words but this is beyond what I can change physically."

The sage sighed with a heavy heart "When I saved you that day I very much hoped that you would one day regain the inner peace you so deserved. I thought the upset within would only return you to a state similar to what you were in as a child, back when Zelda brought you into her life. I thought that in the end your spirit would leave this world at peace and repaired…  
I now worry dearly for the state of your future…if the demon overshadows your soul then nothing will remain of you in this world or the next."

The sage's last words were frightening, his eyes became stern, his gaze reached out to the hero, urging him to be strong.

"Link Your family, especially your princess, share a close bond with you, it was the near breaking of this bond that released the demon. Keep them close and keep them safe, they are the key to your soul's recovery. The demon thrives on fear and unrest so you must stay positive. Be strong for your princess, for your family. It would be a tragedy if your bond was lost. " he said all the while walking over to Link, he put a comforting hand on the hero's shoulder fingers grazing Link's feathers "You have vanquished much evil from this world Link and the evil that lies within you will be no different."

Link smiled, it was a faint one, but it was there. The first smile to grace his face since that night when the demon within was released.

The hero and his princess got up to track down Chirin and head home "Oh, wait. Before I forget." Kaepora went to the shelf and came back with the wolfose mask "I think you should keep this. The spirit seems restless here, I think it would like to be back where you had it before you brought it to me." The hero took the mask.  
"Link, now you remember what I said about it…"  
He sighed "Don't worry, I have no plans on splitting myself three ways." Link said while putting the mask in his side bag next to the ocarina strapped to his belt.

It was dark as the family returned by dragon back, Chirin by his own wings.

Link was still greatly worried about what the future would hold concerning the demon, but he had regained a bit of his old self having heard Kaepora's speech. The sage wished he could help beyond just words but he had indeed helped Link greatly.

The beat of the dragon's wings filled the air as the great beasts lumbered back to Hyrule palace in the darkness of the recently settled sun.  
The hero was getting tired, his sore body and aching arm begged to be at rest in bed. At least tonight maybe he could sleep more peacefully than he had all week…

…Link's thoughts of peace however were short lived and the darkness gripped him once again.

As they grew closer to the palace…there was a glow in the sky…and dawn was several hours away…

Panic welled within each of them as the dragons hastened their pace, part of Hyrule field was on fire and as they came closer to the palace they saw part of it burned as well.

As they made their approach on the castle Link was hit with a sudden jolt atop Yubreit who shrilled in pain and faltered nearly falling from the sky. Link looked around in confusion and then he saw their attacker, the red wyvern, Argorok, minus his passenger.

The red beast turned it's attention to Zelda atop Kia. The princess urged Kia to head for the ground, the dragon went into a nosedive as it fled, trying desperately to get her flightless passenger safely to the grass below.

Before the female dragon could land The armored wyvern grabbed Kia by the tail jolting Zelda loose as she fell to the ground, the princess gasped as the wind was knocked out of her upon impact.

Kia was thrown into the flames. The dragon fled the fire, the hiss of steam following her as the flames licked at her cold flesh leaving behind black scorch marks. As the burned Kia escaped her trial by fire Argorok struck the female dragon again this time knocking her to the ground, leaving her unconscious.

Link dove in on Yubreit, the brave dragon was prepared to fight even though this red beast was twice its size and covered with armor.

Link struck with his sword as Yubreit grabbed at its tail but the blade merely clanked off the metal plating.

All the while Chirin was preparing an attack with the Oni blade, at the last second Argorok realized the child's intent.  
The red wyvern dealt a drastic blow so as to distract the winged prince, Argorok tore at Yubreit's wing shredding it to pieces.

The dragon faltered towards the ground screaming in pain with Link holding on for dear life at his back. Chirin halted his attack to go to the dragon's aid. He cast Farore's wind to catch Yubreit and his father transporting himself along with them safely to the ground below.

Chirin fell to his knees as he felt the drain on his body caused by using such magic, the effect was quite strong this time considering the dragon's size. He collapsed to his chest to the grass gasping in pain and swearing at the cost the spell came with.

As the team laid broken on the ground trying to collect themselves each suddenly realized the red wyvern was gone.  
And then they heard Aryll scream.

The wyvern returned into view this time with the man of black feathered wings was a atop his back, and under Dragmire's arm was Aryll kicking and screaming furiously.

The tenacious little girl bit the man's hand hard. Dragmire looked at the girl coldly and with one touch of his other hand the girl screamed and grew lip and quiet. Dragmire grasped the base of Aryll's red ponytail, he held her up for those below to see and looked down at them with a deep vicious grin.

Chirin growled at the sight, he became sick with rage and took to the air.

The great wyvern turned and tore off through the sky with the winged Prince in hot pursuit, Zelda and Link screaming for him to stop.

The citizens of the castle town came when they saw the fire, they alongside the soldiers tried to put out the flames. One of the soldiers came out of the main hall which was just starting to burn, supported at his side was the greatly wounded Impa.

"I failed…" she said with great sorrow "I failed as a Sheikah and as a grandmother…I failed to protect Aryll."


	28. Chapter 28 Dragmire

art for this chapter, see what Dragmire looks like http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/Zelda-WingedOnes-FF-Dragmire-198411175

Chapter 28: Dragmire

Link and Zelda were in a panic, the dragons were wounded, half the palace was on fire, they could not get to the horses, they were too slow on foot but there wasn't any other choice.  
"Oh why, why did he have to go off alone!"

Chirin was far slower than the wyvern but he tore through the air as fast as his wings could carry him fighting the strong headwind of the brewing storm. He lost sight of his target but continued on to lake Hylia for both his dream and his gut instinct told him that is where this fate would unfold.

As the white wings of the prince came into view wind was ripping at the landscape blowing embers from the burning field over the cliffs and into the lakebed area illuminating the darkness of night with an eerie orange glow.

Chirin hovered in the air above the water, the beat of his wings rippling the surface.

There was no sign of the wyvern or its passenger for that matter…but above the lake was Aryll, she was being held captive, laying within in a crystal.

"Aryll!" he cried flying up to the jeweled containment, she was unresponsive.

When he touched the side of the crystal water began to flow down from the top, pooling in the bottom.

"You cannot free her." the deep voice said, Chirin looked around but saw no one "The only way to free her is if I release the spell or if you kill me. If you act too slowly then the girl will drown."

The water reached the side of her face and the little girl woke up as she choked. Aryll sat up rubbing her eyes, as they adjusted she saw her brother's distraught face.

"Chirin!" her voice echoed as she put her small hands on the sides reaching for him, he put his hands against hers "Just hold on." Chirin said in a panic trying to steady his voice "Be a good girl and stay calm, I will get you out as soon as I can." he said trying to sound reassuring but needing much reassurance himself.

"I am looking forward to watching you try!" said the voice as something leap out of the lake and grabbed Chirin around the ankle with claws digging into his flesh.

Chirin turned to face him, his eyes full of rage and fear, fear not for himself or his own fate but for his sister and the fate of all of Hyrule.

The figure that had hold of him was a black and red Zora… with flame colored eyes.

Chirin tried to shake Dragmire off but the shape shifting fiend pulled the white winged boy into the water.  
The prince of light dispelled his wings upon impact so the feathers would not weigh him down.

"You cannot drown me! I can breath just as well as you can down here."

"I know." said the dark prince snidely, sending out a huge swarm of skullfish.

"Oh shit!" gurgled Chirin as he made a mad dash for shore with the creatures nipping at his boots.  
The prince of light pulled himself ashore on the mainland gasping as his lungs took in air after having been in the water.

Chirin got up and ran from the water's edge looking back to see the black and red Zora stride out of the lake and shift into a Goron. Before he could react the darkened Goron balled up and barreled towards him impacting against him with enough force to send him flying backwards.  
Chirin promptly and stiffly pulled his crumpled body off the ground swearing at the intense bruising he could already feel in his ribs.  
As he stood up the prince of light watched as the dark Goron shifted into something unexpected, a black wolfose.

Chirin looked on in surprise for he thought that the dark interlopers were only able to take on the form of human type races not animals.  
"Surprised?" rumbled the giant wolf "Kotake taught me this one." the huge black creature grinned.

Meanwhile Zelda had taken on the form of the swift Sheikah warrior and together they ran as hard as they could for the lake.  
Part of the field and castle were on fire and a fierce wind was brewing making the air hot and full of ash which stung their lungs and eyes as they ran through the gaps between the flames.

As the hot wind ripped at Link's wings and the soot blinded him it was all too evident to the hero that the first parts of their son's nightmare have become reality.

The rest of the premonitional dream took place at the lake and that is where they hoped to stop this nightmare before it reached the end that Chirin had foretold in his dreams.

As they ran the hero sent Navi off on a mission to find as many of the elusive pink fairies as she could and then bring them to the lake…the king knew they'd certainly be needed.

Link fought to keep the darkness at bay as his mind touched on how Chirin's dream always ended…  
The demon within him was fighting to get free as Link struggled to keep the morbid image out of his mind…  
The scene of a sword run straight through the center of his son's chest, Chirin caught on the blade pinned to the tree…  
The Oni almost lurched free as the image of his child's last dying breaths crossed his mind's eyes.

At the edge of the lake the black wolf looked up to the girl in the crystal which was now a fourth full "Better hurry." he snarled with sharp white teeth bared. "If you take too long to catch me the girl will drown." the wolfose roared as it took off towards Gerudo Gorge. Chirin was surprised by this but had no choice but to pursue.

The wolf leapt up onto the canyon wall and ran with great speed as it bounded from side to side, wall to wall above the water. Momentum allowing the animal not to fall as it ran against the vertical earth with the winged boy in hot pursuit. Chirin found he could not fly fast enough so he began running along the side of the canyon using the motion of his wings to hasten his pace as he sprinted across the rocks.

As the boy got close enough he dove at the wolf landing a shallow blow across the flank. The huge animal did not even flinch but the prince of light continued his tactic landing another and then another shallow blow cursing that he could not strike fast enough to let his sword bite deeper.

The two figures careening across the face of the canyon approached the large waterfall at the end.

"My aren't we a pest." snapped the wolf "This is getting boring, besides I think I've managed to waste enough of your sister's precious time!" Dragmire growled as he suddenly turned and grabbed the winged prince and dropped into the water.

Chirin failed to transform back until after hitting the river's surface and the force of the impact on his wings caused something to snap. The wings would heal quickly cloaked in his Hylian form but the phantom pain of the broken bones still lingered greatly hindering his ability to fight back. It took all of his focus just to keep his grasp on the double helix blade and not let his pain stricken body loose it as the raging current tossed his body around like a rag doll.

The dark interloper shifted back into a Zora, he grabbed Chirin by one leg and dragged the boy back down river to the lake throwing him against the shore with a thud as they descended over the waterfall.

The dark prince watched with a grin as Chirin struggled to catch his breath, the force of the blow combined with his transition from breathing water to air caused the boy a sharp shortness of breath.

As Chirin coughed he looked to Aryll, the crystal was half full and the girl was now kicking the sides, bravely trying to free herself.

The white prince quickly recovered from the assault, he got up and glared at his foe who now stood on the tiny island at the base of the waterfall in a Gerudo form, blood dripping from where the prince of light had managed to strike him as a wolfose.

Chirin found this form far more unsettling than that of the huge wolf with its sharp fangs… the resemblance to the man who held him captive as a child and plagued his father's life was sickening.

"Ready to play yet?" snarked Dragmire as he stood in a from that reflected that of a younger Ganon.  
"Ready to take this seriously." barked Chirin taking on his wings, his stance firm as he held the Oni blade.  
The dark prince drew his sword and shifted into a black winged form "Sure, why not. I think I rouged you up enough." he smirked.  
"I can say the same." Chirin said with much courage in his eyes staring at the wounds he had inflicted, watching the dark blood that dripped into the water.

And so the battle began.  
The son of Ganon versus the son of Link.  
The Prince of Darkness versus The Prince of Light.

The two opponents took to the air blades clashing as black and white feathers settled on the lake's surface.

The slightly older and more muscular Dragmire had a physical advantage over the younger trimmer Chirin but the prince of light fought with fierce courage and fire in his heart.

Blue sparks filled the air as a dance of deadly blades and wings ensued through the sky.  
The battle was intense, each figure moved with such precision that at times the black and white wings seemed intertwined.

Neither had managed to land a blow yet, it would seem that the two children of opposite yet equal fates were equally matched when they fought in mirrored forms.

"I see you have improved" snarked the dark prince "I guess I have your shadow to thank for that, I was hoping he'd succeed in turning you into an actual challenge for my skills."  
"What?" shouted Chirin surprised to hear such arrogance.  
"Oh yes, everything has gone according to my plan, your winged sage friend played into it as well. I allowed him to learn everything there was to know about me, by blow to his head saw to that, the touch of my magic put him so close to death that the essence of this land filled his mind with every detail I desired for him to know.  
I wanted all of you to know just who and what I was, I wanted you to bring the light guardians here. I needed to ensure they would not interfere with my future plans, I had to kill them but had no idea where they went. Thank you so much for bringing them right to me." he sneered  
"Damn you!" barked the prince of Light.

In his fury Chirin managed to land a blow but at the same moment Dragmire grabbed at his wing and twisted the large white feathers into his fist which began to glow with dark magic.  
The prince of light tore free swearing as the feathers were lost in the process causing the missing patch to bleed furiously from where the deep quills were wrenched from his flesh.

The prince of light ascended far above his foe creating as much distance between them as possible. He hovered awkwardly in the air as his one wing was now hindered by the loss of several flight feathers.

The white feathers within the dark man's hand became engulfed in flames as he glared up at the prince of light with a sly smirk. The prince of darkness taunted Chirin with a motion of his hand luring the boy into an attack. But the white winged prince held his position in the air waiting for Dragmire to strike first, forcing himself to not allow the plight of his sister in the now two thirds filled crystal to cloud his judgment.

Dragmire could see that the boy had become too calm and focused to be evoked into such a trap, Chirin's lack of reaction surprised the dark prince, this was not part of his plan. The sight of Aryll so close to drowning was supposed to have the boy in a state of blinding panic and yet here he stood, his eyes filled with such courage and determined focus.

The back wings soared upwards towards the prince of light, Dragmire furiously lashed out at the boy nearly claiming his wing, angered by the boy's expression.

Chirin fought with a new found calm as he bravely suppressed his panic and heartache. A humbled confidence showed through his serious expression as the two once again ensued in a battle of blades and aerial acrobatics.

The prince of light was able to land another blow whereas Dragmire found himself unable to do the same. The dark prince could see that a fair fight would not work in his favor and so he began to fight dirty. He quickly and sneakily switched tactics calling forth an attack that mirrored his father's, casting an orb of dark energy at the white winged prince.

Chirin's wings grew gold as the power of the goddesses protected him from the likes of dark magic.  
He folded his feathers across the front of him to shield the attack, the blow hit him hard. The dark energy itself did not harm him but the force sent Chirin falling. He caught himself mere inches above the water and hitched the Oni sword to the clasp at the side of his armor while simultaneously reaching behind to grab the bow and an arrow which began to glow gold at the tip.

The boy's aim was perfect but the weapon missed its target as Dragmire sharply moved out of the line of fire, the dark man grinned knowing this attack.  
The black wings dodged again and a again as the two ascended into the air, a smirk on his face each time the boy missed. Dragmire fired his dark magic but once again Chirin shielded the attack and this time he faltered less and recovered more quickly from the force of the blow.

The rain of light arrows persisted and the dark prince below continued to sharply evade each one with unmatched skill.

But then the son of Ganon stopped dodging and purposefully let one hit.

The arrow bit into his shoulder, Dragmire grasped the shaft in pain but the effect of the magic failed to do a thing.

The light arrows were useless on this pure being of darkness.

Dragmire ripped the arrow free ignoring the rush of blood and stared up at his now unnerved prey with a victorious smile.

Chirin was in shock. He unclasped the sword and brought the tip to his palm ready to let the blade taste Tenshioni blood to release the light spells his father had used on beast Ganon.

Dragmire smirked "The light of your magic won't work on me!"  
The dark prince swiftly shot up towards Chirin.

The boy's focus was distracted as he prepared to cast his next attack, his mind trying to comprehend the fact that the magic which worked so well on Ganon did not work on his son at all. He began to realize that perhaps none of the magic of light would work on this creature of unaltered darkness.  
Chirin was caught off guard and Dragmire kicked the white winged prince hard across the face sending him crashing into the water below.

The skullfish descended upon him immediately, the nasty creatures bit and tore at his flesh and wings their actions growing more intense as the smell of blood filled the water. The prince in all his fury lashed out in a spin attack with the Oni blade wiping them all out with one swift move.

Chirin struggled to the surface dispelling his now wet and heavy wings as he swam to the large island at the center of the lake, blood seeping from his many bite marks.

As the boy reached the shore he dragged himself onto the grass with sword in hand and took on his winged form once again, prepared to take to the air and fight to save his sister's life. But as he turned he found that Dragmire was close behind him.

The dark figure stood in his winged form with a confident grin, in his one hand was Aryll, once again cruelly held by her hair.  
In his other hand was the dark sword, poised and ready to strike Chirin's little sister.

The white winged prince stood in shock and fear not knowing what to do as his furious sister screamed in anger and grabbed at the mans hand while trying to kick him.

Chirin merely stood there, stunned, afraid to make a move for Dragmire could kill her within an instant.

As these last events transpired Sheik and Link had arrived, adrenaline powering their every move keeping their exhausted bodies working.

They had witnessed Chirin stand turn only to find that Dragmire was right behind him.  
Zelda and her hero were gripped with fear as they realized the foreboding nightmare was unfolding.

Sheik took off across the field and to the bridges but Link could see it was too late, they would never reach their son in time…

But time around our hero literally seemed to slow, seconds expanded into minutes as a greater drama began to stir deep within, an evil more heartless than Dragmire had begun to break free.

At first the hero was torn between if he should fight the darkness or just let it loose, he considered the fact that perhaps as a demon he could take on the likes of Dragmire and easily win…  
But the only fate worse than his family dying at the hands of an enemy was dying in the cruel grip of his own… and Link had already nearly killed Zelda without a second thought or hint of mercy.

He lurched forward as his insides twisted into something dark and foul.  
The Oni marks glowed and shadowed flames began to cloak his green clad form.  
He tried to resist, but just as in Kakariko Link could feel the darkness eating away at him, he could feel the Oni clawing its way through to the front of his conciseness.

The tainted hero fell to his knees furious that this could be happening, knowing that he could not fight it much longer…

Link was faced with was a loose-loose situation, he could either become the demon and kill Dragmire along with everyone in Hyrule, or die here and now and leave them to hopelessly fend for themselves.  
Either way he was helpless to save anyone.

…He began to consider ending his own existence as a means of preventing the demons wrath….  
Link's soul was breaking at the thought of his family dying in the grasp of his own hands…he could not let that happen.

Link unsheathed the Master Sword and held the tip near his chest prepared to do the unthinkable should it become necessary to prevent such an atrocious act, an act more cruel than if they all died together tonight at the hands of fate.

His soul was breaking, begging fate to somehow unfold a future that would spare his family for right now he was helpless to save even his own soul…

And then ….suddenly it stopped.  
Time seemed to stand still.

The demon froze, the flames faded. Link was suddenly shaken out of his intense darkness by a new feeling, one similar to what he felt before when the mask called to him and he brought it to Kaepora.

Something was reaching beyond the darkness, pulling on his very soul.

Link opened his side bag and took out the wolf mask.

The feeling was because of this, this mask was somehow keeping the demon and bay and filling his broken heart with hope.

Without even thinking, Link brought it close to his face.

"No!" Kaepora cried, the empathetic connection between them had suddenly tore at the wind sage when the sprit of the mask spoke. The sage had warned the hero to never wear it for he could sense that the results of use would be somehow changed due to who Link was.

But Link did not hear him, he heard only the voice of the mask.

As Link fought his inner demon Dragmire had thrown Aryll into the deep lake taking much pleasure from the sight of Chirin's eyes growing in terror. This was the state of blinding panic the dark man was looking for.

The white winged boy motioned to save his drowning sister…but before he could even take a step…the tip of Dragmire's sword bit into the center of Chirin's chest.

The dark man slid the blade ever so slowly, watching the blood come down to the hilt of the sword as the boy's eyes grew cold with pain. The blade's intent was to run him straight through the middle, not through his heart. An instantaneous death would be too kind, the dark one's goal was to give the prince of light time to agonize over his own fate.

Chirin backed away from the forward motion of the sword, halting its progress with each retreating step, but then he was unable to move any further, his back against the tree.

The white winged prince was no longer able to pull away from the advancement of the sword and its tip bit in deeper.

Chirin closed his eyes and braced himself to feel the horrible pain of his dreams one last time, knowing that he would never awaken from the nightmare he was now facing.

But before the blade could complete its task a golden creature half the size of the dark prince leapt from the ground and gabbed the man's arm in its jaws causing him to release the sword.

Dragmire roared in fury as he shook the beast free.

The man of black feathered wings picked up the sword and glared at the glistening golden animal that now stood its ground at the edge of the water.

Its eyes glowing red.


	29. Chapter 29 Sacred Beast

Chapter 29: Sacred Beast

Chirin's winged form faded away and he fell to this knees holding the wound to his chest, eyes clenched in pain as he tried to calm his breathing for he could feel blood mixing with air in his lungs.

The white winged prince was in serious trouble.  
The boy may have avoided the fate he faced in his nightmare but death was still staring him straight in the face.

As Chirin forcefully opened his eyes he found the source of his salvation.  
The boy stared in awe at the animal who was not even half the size of its opponent and yet had somehow easily managed to take a bite out of the prince of darkness.

Dragmire stood holding his arm which both bled from the bite and burned white from the light that cloaked the wolf.

Sheik had saved the drowning child. Being unable to scale the sides of the smaller island the Sheikah retreated across the lake swimming with the girl in one arm as she held on for dear life.

Chirin sat slumped against the base of the tree, gripping at his chest in an attempt to slow the bleeding.  
The wolf and black winged man were within mere feet of him.  
His green clothes became soaked in red and he was having more and more trouble breathing…but he was so close to Dragmire, so close to his turned back, Chirin tried to get up to strike his foe down…  
But the prince was out of this fight.

When Sheik got to shore the red eyed warrior looked around and failed to find Link. As Zelda within saw the wolf her spirit reached out to it and its spirit reached back. Sheik gasped as the princess within realized what had happened.

Dragmire stared at the glowing creature "Well now, the Sacred Beast has returned after all." he said stepping to one side with the sword resting on his shoulder "So, you are the chosen hero of more than one shape, the one fate chooses as the animal of light…I thought for sure fate had chosen your son since it chose to grant him the Triforce and a second form.  
But I guess _I_ chose the wrong hero to kill first on my list." he sneered.

The golden beast growled. All Dragmire heard was an animal, but Chirin heard the voice of his father and looked on in complete shock.

The son of Ganon struck at the animal with his sword but the wolf dodged him easily as it leapt onto the flat side of the blade and pushed off of it.  
The sacred beast used the sword as a mounting point for its leap, he flew at Dragmire and bit down at the arm of his wing drawing blood and causing the black feathers to burn as the golden light touched him.

The dark Prince recoiled at the shock of a pain he had never felt before.

He tried an energy attack but the wolf quickly dodged that as well and came in for another bite before backing off to the edge of the water.

Dragmire was furious at how easily and swiftly this animal could get through his defenses.

The golden wolf glared into the man's flame colored eyes but then looked to what was right behind his foe.  
His red eyes took in the sight of Chirin who laid helpless in a heap of blood on the ground in his Hylian form.  
The sacred beast winced, it then turned to lake and strode out onto the water, a glow formed under the animal keeping his feet on the surface.

With graceful movement the wolf bounded effortlessly across the water like a skipping stone, leaving behind a fading golden glow with each step.

The glistening creature stood at the bank of the mainland, red eyes daring Dragmire to follow and thus move the fight away from the wounded prince.  
The dark man roared in rage and flew to the landmass at the other side.

Sheik scooped up Aryll and fled across the bridges to the island where Chirin laid against the tree holding his wound begging the blood to stop flowing. Navi was still trying to find a pink fairy.

The dark shape shifter took on his Gerudo form to fight the animal on the ground without the hindrance of wings. The young man's motions seemed more desperate than when he fought Chirin, the movements of his blade were wide and heavy as he tried to strike the beast down with his sword.  
The wolf's movements were quite the opposite, he moved swift an calm, dodging each blow as he silently glared at the descendent of his former enemy.

The red eyed warrior reached the island where the wounded prince laid motionless on the ground. His condition had become grave but his strong spirit refused to give in, knowing that if he could just hold on to even a shred of life a healing fairy can save him.

Zelda remained in the warrior's form for danger was still all around them, she put Aryll down and with the girl clinging to one side approached her son.  
Sheik tore off the bottom half of the Sheikah sash, knelt down against the boy and firmly held the cloth to his wound, applying pressure to slow the bleeding for Chirin was now too faint to do so on his own.  
The boy weakly writhed in agony as the Sheikah touched him, he fought the urge to cry out in pain knowing it would only further torment his loved ones. The little girl clung to Sheik's back silently crying, feeling partly responsible for what happened to her dear older brother. Zelda's heart within was breaking at the sight of her child bravely facing the grip of death.

The dying prince relaxed his convulsing body and tried to steady his shallow breathing.  
As he laid strewn in the grass resting against his mother's warrior form the boy looked to his younger sister. His eyes were peaceful and he smiled despite the pain, deeply happy that she was okay. Aryll's gaze met his and she reached out a small hand and placed it within his, the touch of her fingers filled Chirin with a sense of warmth that transcended the pain.

Chirin was able to find some solace in his situation, if fate was indeed going to claim him this night then he'd at least die under the comfort of family…The situation surrounding his death was turning out to be far more peaceful that what was foretold in his nightmares.

The sacred beast faltered, there was a twinge in his chest and something was pulling at his heart. The wolf struck Dragmire for the first time since retreating from the island and then landed atop one of the pillars that remained from the old temple gate at the edge of the lake.  
He used the short time he had been granted by the blow to his foe to check on the status of his comrades.  
What the wolf saw made his blood run cold. Every fiber of his being wanted to go to them, to be by the boy's side but right now his duty was to keep Dragmire from killing them all…even if it was already too late for one of them…

The dark man called forth his wings and flew up to where the wolf was standing with its back turned. As the sword swung in its direction the animal kept its eyes on the island while dodging the blow, the wolf then pulled its gaze away from the scene and took the fight further inland.

The sacred beast continued the battle with a heavy aching heart and tears in his soul.

The prince of light was not sure how much longer he could hold on, the pain had started to melt away as every sensation faded…his eyes began to close…  
"Chirin please don't die…" came the broken voice of his younger sister.

The boy forced his eyes to open "...I'm trying…" he whispered, weakly lifting his head to look her in the eyes "I promise, I'm trying not to die…but… I can't…can't help it." he gripped her small hand and let his head fall back against soft grass, his unfocused soft blue eyes staring to the dark sky as the painful expression on his face softened.

Zelda within was deeply struck by the look on her son's face.  
His expression held faint and acceptant smile, his life was in the hands of fate now.

The feeling within the heart of the sacred beast deepened causing his movements to falter and Dragmire was able to land a shallow blow across the animal's side. The wolf darted away and then continued to fight despite the growing emptiness that struck his soul.  
Zelda held a spiritual empathic bond with those closest to her heart thanks to her innate sense of magic, however until now Link had never shared in her unique gift.

The magic of his divine animal form had turned the emotional bond with his family into a physical one…and the hero could feel one of these important bonds fading.

The wolf continued to fight despite the fact his heart was filled with such intense pain. His soul was breaking at the thought of loosing his son, but Link knew that if he lost them all his spirit would essentially die right along with them.

The hero's aching soul begged for fate to spare his son, to somehow unfold a future that would save his family regardless of what it did to him in return.

Link' heart and mind were wrought with the injustice of it all. He had always been the lucky one, he always survived what others would die from, he knew that fate in all this time had kept him alive and that it would likely once again spare him…But he could not bear to continue life without his family.  
If fate must change its plan and as a result harm him instead then so be it.

…Unbenounced to our hero…fate was listening…and this is what it needed to hear.

The path of fate turned in his favor as Navi returned with a single elusive pink fairy.

The blue fairy studied the scene fearful of the fact she could not find Link but when she saw the prince her complete focus was driven towards him and she quickly led the healing fairy down to the island.  
"Chirin!" Navi cried with panic and heartache in her voice.

The boy looked up and saw the approaching pink glow. This selfless creature is why he had fighting to maintain a glimmer of life in his dying body, holding on to a spark so that that the fairy could breath life into the flame of his soul…

But now his grasp on life had grown extremely weak, only a shred was left, and he could feel it slipping away...

At first he was afraid to die, but now, in this moment of time, he felt at peace with whichever path fate was about to choose for him.

The prince smiled weakly as his eyes closed and body grew limp… Chirin's soul was fading.

Without delay the pink fairy set to work, the flame of it's life reached out and grabbed the dying ember at the core of the boy's soul.

Chirin was violently pulled free from the hands of death.

Upon the touch of the little glowing creature the prince was filled with a rush of strength, his faded senses returned to him and struck his once lifeless form without mercy.  
His body lurched as he cried in pain, feeling the sacrifice of a healing fairy for the first time.

Sheik grabbed Chirin and held him close trying to calm his erratic movements and hopefully help ease his pain. Zelda's heart within the Sheikah writhed with empathy as she lived through her son's plight.

The sensation Chirin experienced was both horrible and wonderful at the same time. His body felt the pain of life's return along with the rapid healing that came with it, and his soul felt the warmth of the fairy's spirit as the creature passed its life on to him.

The selfless sacrifice of the fairy brought Chirin back from the edge of death and healed his wounds, leaving behind only the blood on his clothes and new additions to the collection of scars the young hero bore…Scars he would carry with him as constant reminders of his fate in much the same way the boy's father carries his.

The eyes of the sacred beast grew wide as the pain of his heart was replaced with relief. The dying bond he felt with his son had grown strong and vibrant. The sensation filled him with hope and built great strength behind each motion of his body.

The wolf charged at the Gerudo form of Dragmire but the dark prince quickly took on his winged form and ascended high into the air.  
He had decided to give his dark magic a second try, believing he could attack from above and stay out of the golden animal's grasp.

But the wolf with it's newfound strength leapt with unnatural power and grace landing another blow biting his other arm ripping at his flesh far worse than ever before.

The golden beast released its jaws and landed gracefully to the ground below. Dragmire glared at the wolf holding the wound as it bled with each beat of his heart. He snarled at the golden creature "Fine, you want to fight like an animal then two can play at this game. Lets see how a beast of light fares against a beast of darkness!" roared the son of Ganon casting away his sword.

The dark prince's eyes grew solid white and glowed with an unearthly light. Like his father before him the dark son went through a drastic transformation shifting into the form of a ginormious and fearsome animal… only this was far more feral than the likes of what Link faced before.  
This was a pure untainted beast of darkness.

Like his father Dragmire took on a boar like form, only this walked on all fours and held no swords. The hind feet were clawed paws, the front clawed hands, the back was high and arched like a razorback hog. Instead of horns he had tusks long and foul, red hair ran the length of his back and down to his wolf like tail. And lastly, this creature shared one very important trait with the Tenshioni and explained why the winged race's form was the shape shifters favorite…

Dragmire's feral body, along with its wings, was that of an unaltered beast of darkness. The creature that now stood before Link showed just how tainted Ganon's beast had become due to the actions of Koume and Kotake.

"Zelda!" Kaepora's voice reached Sheik "Call the other sages, have them ready. The battle of the beasts has begun. The beast of light must win this before you can act but you must strike as soon as the dark beast is down!"

Sheik reached up and removed the Mask leaving it with Aryll who sat on the ground in the arms of now healed Chirin. The girl took it and held the mask close for a moment knowing how important it was to her mother and then handed it to her brother who placed it in the pouch on his belt for safe keeping.

Zelda closed her eyes and reached out to her comrades calling them to the chamber of sages, preparing to receive the power they each could grant her.

Dragmire had no idea what the golden wolf was capable of… he had no idea that his beast form was in fact a weakness rather than an advantage.  
And once a dark interloper takes on their true form in this world of light they cannot change back easily, the prince of darkness had unknowingly dealt a huge blow against his chances of victory.

The sacred animal struck, Link was able to tear across the huge beast's underbelly before the dark interloper had any idea what was happening.  
The wolf's golden light cut a gash across the boar's chest leaving a white and glowing scar as the dark beast screamed in fury. The huge creature was shocked by how quickly and harshly he was attacked.

The wolf came around for another pass but this time Dragmire saw him coming and knew what the golden animal could do by merely touching him.  
The huge boar fled to the canyon, believing there was no way the smaller animal could follow. The dark beast leapt into the air, his wings cannot take him very far but they still aided in his ascent up the rocky cliff face.

The dark beast bounded from wall to wall just as before, only this time he was not toying with his opponent. Dragmire was trying to take the battle to his home turf in the desert where he may be able to regain the upper hand. He was hoping the now feeble old Twin witches could help him somehow if he brought the fight to them.

Dragmire had been told stories of the sacred beast by those who first raised him the dark realm. He knew that the divine animal of the past had swiftly brought down many of the interlopers allowing each to be sealed away in a world of twilight. This went on for ages before the beast of light was finally stuck down by a group effort. The last batch to be banished had planned a foul sneak attack. They cast their magic at the creature as they were sent through the veil, catching the animal off guard and killing the sacred beast with their backhanded attack thus allowing their two creations to break free and lie in wait to in turn free them all.

He had been told the divine animal effortlessly defeated many of his dark race but Dragmire was still completely taken aback by how easily this beast of light could strike when others could only just barely touch him.

Halfway through to the large waterfall Dragmire realized the wolf was following, running atop the water below.  
The sacred beast leapt to the wall of the gorge and bounded from side to side quickly gaining ground on the dark beast.

The wolf took on last drastic leap at the son of Ganon and bit down at the scruff of his neck. The searing pain of the gold light caused the dark beast to fall into the river landing atop the sacred animal pushing him under the water.  
The current of the river returned both to the lake and dropped them over the waterfall.  
The small sleek wolf easily slid out of the water and watched as the hulking beast pulled his from free from the grasp of the lake.

Without giving Dragmire a chance to recover the wolf with massive speed raced across the side of the dark beast leaving another trail of burning light searing through its dark coat as the boar roared with anger.

The beast of Dragmire became fueled by its pain and range, he was not going to let this small animal beat him. The panic within the dark beast subsided as its mind became focused on succeeding where his ancestors had failed.

The golden animal leaped up and behind the boar ready to deal another blow, but the dark beast's mind had gone from stunned to motivated.

The huge boar suddenly turned swift and sharp to face its attacker.

The son of Ganon caught the sacred beast off guard and struck the wolf hard as its claws bit into flesh.

The golden creature was thrown through the air and hit the ground by the water with a cracking thud and a yelp, fur covered in blood.

"No!" Chirin yelled taking on his winged form.

Driven by the sound of the boy's voice the sacred beast stiffly got up and stared at him with only one eye glowing red. His gaze made the boy of white feathered wings stop in his tacks.

The prince of light understood.  
Link had to do this alone.

The part of the prophecy played by the being of wings was over, it was time for the part played by the being of red eyes to finish the job and assure that the downfall of the dark interlopers remains permanent.

The beast of Link stepped forward and glared at the beast of Dragmire with its one good eye…the opposing side of the wolf's face was a mangled mess of blood and torn flesh.  
His right eye had been taken.

The wolf crouched low and growled, waiting for Dragmire to move first. Dark red blood dripped from the face of the sacred beast and from the many wounds of the blackened animal.

As Dragmire lunged Link leapt to the air planning to take a huge risk. He had decided to skip right to the finishing blow despite the fact that his foe was still so full of energy and thus could more easily stop him.  
But with the loss of his eye and his family so close to danger Link needed to end this as soon as possible.

He had decided to commit the finial act needed to strip a dark interloper of enough power so as to be banished from this world.

He was now aiming for the beast's wings.

As the wolf's teeth met feathers his golden coat glowed even brighter, the entire wing became engulfed a brilliant white flame. The dark boar began to scream and fell to one side. He rolled on the ground attempting to knock the wolf free crushing him in the process and nearly twisting a foreleg free of its socket. The divine animal continued to hold on the entire time and fought just as fiercely as before despite the pain of his broken body.

The sacred beast used all its strength both physically and magically to rip the wing free leaving behind a white and glowing wound that dripped like blood.

The dark beast roared and flailed on the ground. Link did not hesitate. Ignoring the pain of his injuries and forcing his twisted leg to cooperate the wolf poised to take the other, once again ripping the wing free with the power of light bestowed upon the divine animal.

The golden wolf leaped away as the beast of Dragmire hit the ground writhing in agony reaching for where his wings once were.

Link landed in the grass nearby and immediately let out and immense howl.

In his tremendous voice the wolf sounded out the Oath to Order.

At the call of the sacred beast the air began to radiate. One by one the golden glow of the light guardians appeared before the divine animal. Each lent him their power, transforming him into a pure beast of light so as to cast the finial blow needed to allow the sage's power to grasp the beast of darkness.

The wolf's glistening form glowed with a new brilliance and graceful golden flame seemed to drift upwards from his body.

The divine creature took the charge, tearing across the dark beast's face and then across his entire back, leaving behind a vast streak of light that burned the dark creature bringing him down with a rumbling thud.

"Now!" called Kaepora. Within the chamber of sages each appeared including the wounded Impa. They focused their strength on Zelda who then condensed all their energy within her own.

Zelda cast open her arms and let the combined force of the sages of the land strike the beast of Dragmire. When the essence of the sages met the streak of light down Dragmire's back the rift between worlds opened and locked him away in the banished realm of twilight.

As the veil between realms was sealed the aura of the world felt as if it had changed, the essence of the land seemed relieved by the banishment of this great evil and a sense of calm filled the air.

The guardians of light looked to the golden animal and then vanished once again, each returning to the land in which they forever belonged.

With his task complete the form of the Sacred Beast faded back into that of the Hero of Time. Link fell to his knees as his true form was released from that of the wolf.

As the hero sat by the lake with the mask in hand he could sense that his ribs were bruised and arm was twisted as a result of being crushed under the weight of the dark beast. He could feel the throbbing of where his eye had been taken, and he could feel the hot blood that ran down his face and neck… But he also felt something else, something that overshadowed any sense of pain.

Link was awash with an overpowering sense of nostalgia and bliss, the void within him had healed completely and his body was aglow with the sensation of pure inner peace.  
He sat at the edge of the lake gripped in a deep sense of relief oblivious to the world around him.

Zelda gasped in shock as she looked across the lake to her hero…his wings, along with the Oni marks, were gone…

As Link's mind regained a grip on the world around him he realized that there were two masks in his hand, atop the wolf mask was the mask of the Tenshioni.

The choice he had made was reversed, he was now his Hylian self again.

But Link's triumph faded to confusion as he held each mask in one hand. The Tenshioni was on top of the wolf before so he did not see…he did not see it was only half there. As he held the wolfose mask it began to glow and rise from his hand.

The mask disappeared into a swirl of dust.


	30. Chapter 30 The Hero's Fate

art for this chapter http: / / lilleahwest . deviantart . com /art/The-Hero-s-Shade-198864202

The last chapter

Chapter 30: The Hero's Fate

Zelda ran across the bridges to Link and stopped a few feet in front of him.

The queen sadly gazed upon the wound to his face but then was taken aback to see his soft smile and the look of calm serenity in his remaining eye.

She came closer and tenderly touched where the demon marks had been, she put a hand around his shoulder to touch where the angel wings once were.

Zelda with tears of relief in her eyes wrapped her arms gently around his shoulders and hugged him.

Link returned the gesture and held her in his loving embrace. As they touched she could feel the bond between them, Zelda smiled, her hero had been restored, inside and out.

Chirin walked up carrying little Aryll who was still rather shaken. The girl began to squirm and reach for her father, the prince set her down. Link sat in grass and then reached out to her, the little girl ran crying into his arms and he held his adopted daughter close as she cried in relief.

Aryll stopped crying and stood up. She rubbed the tears from her eyes as she looked at her father who held his steady hands on her shoulders. At first she was heartbroken to see the state of his torn face. She then was confused to see him without the Oni marks and wings… but when Link smiled she smiled as well.  
Aryll could feel the change within him, the feeling of peace and warmth within the healed king reached her heart as well.

The storm that had been brewing was finally released, rain began to fall washing away the blood from the soil and chasing away the flames that ate at the land.

As the water began to drip from the sky the wounded hero stood up. Aryll ran back to Chirin who took on his Tenshioni form and held his wings up to shield them both from the rain.

Link looked to the sky above, the clouds were alit with the dim light of the waking sun.  
The hero closed his eye, the cold rain washing away the blood from his face and clothes as he stood and enjoyed his newfound inner peace.

Zelda reached down and tore off the edge of her dress. Tenderly she brushed aside Link's wet hair and tied the cloth across his face doing her best to patch him up.

Chirin walked over to his parents and held his wings to shelter them all, the rain ran off the topside of his feathers like water down a duck's back.

Aryll tugged at the edge of her father's tunic and he scooped her up, ignoring the lingering discomfort of his bruised ribs and twisted arm. Her loved matter more than the pain right now.  
The little girl hugged Link around the neck as the hero carried his little adopted treasure home.

The rain had stopped and with its end Chirin released his Tenshioni form to rest his tired wings. The morning was nearly half over when they arrived at the castle...it was in shambles, more than a third of it had burned.

Impa had survived and was laid up in what part of the castle had escaped the blaze. They brought Aryll to her first thing and little girl ran up and hugged her Granny Impa carefully seeing she was hurt. Tears of joy were on the Sheikah's proud face as she held her adoptive granddaughter, this was the first and only time Impa had ever shed even a single tear.

As they searched the grounds they found the dragons. Kia was burned fairly bad but was in good spirits and with time would fully recover… Yubreit however… his wing was trashed.

Chirin ran up to the dragon and stared at the state of his wounds, the feathers and webbing between the fingers of the dragon's wing were ripped to pieces and many joints laid broken.  
The prince stood with tears in his eyes, deeply saddened to see his childhood friend this way.

The dragon reached out and nuzzled his face, making his skin go numb. Chirin took on the Tenshioni form to embrace the cold and hugged the dragon around the neck.

"Well… " Link said walking up to them "I guess you have yourself a new pet. He cannot go back and forth from Kaepora's very easily with that wing. I suppose he must settle with one master now." Chirin wiped the tears from his eyes as the dragon nuzzled him showing his agreement with what Link had said. Chirin held Yubreit's head in his hands relieved to see the dragon was so acceptant of his new flightless state.

As they assessed the condition of the castle Link was thankful that the bedroom wing had been spared aside from smoke damage, what few possessions he considered important were in this room.

He pulled the trunk from under the bed to return the former Oni mask to the collection of items he obtained in Termina, but then stopped.  
He decided to give it to Kaepora instead, he realized that this mask may technically belong to him but that it rightfully belonged with the wind sage.

As evening approached the hero was on the edge of the bed wearing only white pants for he had abandoned night shirts long ago due to the fuss of his winged form.  
He sat patiently, trying not to show any pain as his princess properly addressed the wound to his face getting it cleaned and bandaged.

Zelda stepped back to look at the state of her hero, his body was already covered in so many scars, and now he had lost an eye.

Link reached his hand out to hers and smiled. "I Promise this is the last of my scars…I am getting too old to be the hero." Zelda smiled and plopped herself down on the bed. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Link closed his eye and laid his head against hers, holding her hands within his.

Her closeness further deepened the newfound peace in Links heart.

That night despite the pain of his wounds, the turmoil of the day and the severity of what when on, Link got the first truly restful nights sleep he'd had in years. The feeling of loss and emptiness, the darkness within that had haunted him for so long, was gone.

After a few days of rest and rebuild Link felt well enough to travel and was confident enough in the carpenter's progress to make the trip to see Kaepora, to give him the mask of his people.

Kia was still in too much pain to fly so Link made the trip by horseback. He rode out atop the stunning Phantom in his slightly fancy green tunic including his old hat, though Navi was not sound asleep inside.

She was with Chirin, away from the king for first time since her return from the sacred realm. Link had officially retired as the hero and had prompted her to stay alongside Chirin, to remain as the new hero's constant companion.  
And Navi had obliged with tears of sadness and joy, glad to see Link so happy with his new peaceful life and honored to stay by his adventurous son's side.

The now resigned hero had with him a brown cloak to aid in the cold weather ahead and the Tenshioni mask was in his bag safely alongside the ocarina. The wound to his eye was wrapped in white cloth and over that a wide and simple brown leather patch covered the one side of his face. And despite the time of peace he still carried with him the Master Sword, his only remaining mark as the hero.

He followed the same old route through the Gerudo valley and to the desert colossus leaving the dark horse in the comfort of the shaded oasis. Link started his ascent up the ladder, this time dreading the entire trip since he could not glide down the embankment like before. That was the one and only good thing his torn form came with.

As he set foot in the land of snow it was late in the day and the place seemed colder than before, "Perhaps my merged form did come with some cold tolerance?" he thought, shivering.

Link made his way to the temple and again let himself inside knowing he was welcome to call this place a second home. He stoked the fire and sat on the warming stone, holding the mask.

Kaepora came in, he was surprised to see Link, even more surprised to see the covering over the side of his face. The sage had not realized that Link had lost an eye and it made him all the more sad.

The hero looked at him with a sincere smile expecting one in return…but was worried and saddened when Kaepora's expression stayed somber, the sage's face was not lit by his usual warm grin.

"I thought you may want this." Link said standing up and moving away from the heat of the fire, he offered it to Kaepora who took it gently into his own hands. The winged man looked down at the mask for a moment and then held it dearly to his chest. As he looked up to Link the hero was again worried by the sage's sad eyes.

Kaepora sat in the chair away from the fire, Link sat back on the warming floor.

"Link, I…" the sage said, pausing to find the words, he had hoped to have more time to prepare this news before sharing it with the hero. "Last time I had to force you to make an impossible choice, this time you made the choice on your own, not even knowing the consequence…" there was pain in his voice as he spoke those last words.

Link did not like where this was going.

"When you first handed me the wolfose mask…I told you that just by touching it that I knew the nature of its power.  
I told you things would not bode well for you if you used it, that it would grant you a great power but at a great cost…a cost that only you would take, being who you are.

I myself did not know exactly what that cost was at the time, what I felt was ill defined…but after your use of the mask…I learned exactly what it meant.  
Ever since my loss of the owl form I have been unable to reach out to fate and hear what it had planned…but last night, fate chose to reach out to me…Apparently I am the only person fate can speak out to and it wanted to be sure you fully understood the price you paid…"

Link looked at him "But I did not pay a price, it was quite the opposite. I regained my old form, my inner peace has returned. My daily struggle within myself and my fear of the demon that once lived within me is gone. I am finally sincerely happy again and I owe it all to that mask."

Kaepora smiled an ever so faint smile, he had suspected this but until now was not sure if Link's reversal was emotional as well as physical. The sage felt a slight relief knowing that the price the hero had paid did at least come with something positive.

The winged sage looked at Link, his face held a faint grin but his eyes were still deeply sad.

"Link, you were unaware of it at the time…but …you reversed one cost in return for another…one that would transcend your existence in this world."

Link looked worried.  
The sage sighed with a heavy heart.

"Though I warned you of the mask there was no escaping the twisted web that fate had crafted for your existence, this was always part of its plan...its final act.

The properties of the wolfose mask changed due to who you are. The mask served not as a means of transformation but rather as a means of releasing an inner power and hidden form granted to you at your birth.

By taking on the shape of an animal you defined yourself as the Sacred Beast of a legend long since lost to the world of Hyrule…

When your aching heart reached out and begged for your family to be spared, when you offered for fate to do so despite any cost to yourself…you gave fate the permission it needed to keep you in its plan.

Part of the sacred beast stayed with you to be called upon again. The essence of the other half will await the day when it can grace the birth of a new hero with the hidden form of a divine wolf."

Kaepora paused, he had to force himself to say the rest

"Link…your soul will not be able to rest until history literally repeats itself and you aid this new hero of the distant future. Until then your lonely spirit will exist as ghostly shadow of the hero incarnate. The Hero's Shade."

Link's heart tightened "So what you saying…this means…" deep down knew what it meant, but part of him did not want to hear it.

Kaepora took a deep breath, knowing he would have to help the hero's heart hear and accept this.

"I am saying your soul will not be able to move on to the next life. On the day of your death your spirit will be shrouded in an cursed and obscured form. You will face a terribly long and lonely existence caught between worlds until acts of history repeat and a new hero is chosen by the goddesses.

Your soul will remain in this dismal state until you can pass on the essence of the Hero of Time to the hero of the new and distant future assuring his victory over the world's reawakened evil… Only then can your soul be reunited with the loved ones who will leave you behind and receive the eternal peace and happiness you so deserve alongside them…"

Link slumped against the stone edge of the hearth, his eyes full of pain as reality sank in. The hardest thing for our hero to deal with was the fact that he still would not have hesitated if he knew of this upfront. Regret was not to blame here, that is not what he felt…the emotions that stirred within him were deep and complex.

Kaepora's heart sank as he gazed upon the newly cursed hero.  
The wind sage left the room to give Link some privacy, to give him a chance to fully take in what he had just learned.

When Kaepora returned some time later the sun was about to set.  
Link was still sitting against the edge of the hearth. He was holding the ocarina in his hands watching how it glimmered in the light of the flame.

And oddly enough, the cursed hero had a gentle smile on his face.

"Kaepora" he said in a soft but strong tone "I know what has happened to me is troubling you, and I cannot lie and say it does not trouble me as well…but, I accepted life as the hero… so I must accept what comes with it…  
And…" he paused, looking to the ocarina "and I asked for this to happen, this is what fate had to do to save my family…

My inner peace was restored as I became Hylian once again, and the demon within me has vanished…this alone was worth the price I have paid.

I plan to live out my life to the fullest and cherish the happiness I have…Through life's gift I can prepare to face the long and lonely existence ahead.

I have personally learned that memories are a strong thing. I plan to live on and fill my heart with bright memories, ones that will stay with me during the trial I have to face before I can eternally be with my family."

Kaepora wiped tears from his eyes "You have far more courage than I Link..." said the sage with a warm smile showing through his tears.

Link smiled brightly in return.

If staying caught between worlds meant that he could save the lives of others through a hero of a distant future then this was a destiny he was willing to embrace despite the hardship it came with.

He had decided to face his fate with calm acceptance and with this decision the dismal news no longer haunted him.

Link returned to the desert oasis by dragon back on a new young creature, he then retrieved the son of Epona and the steed slowly started its journey through the starlit sand.

As he headed home in the serene darkness Link debated on if he should share the knowledge of this fate with Zelda and his family… The hero decided that he could not bare to keep such a drastic life-long secret from those he held so close.  
However he did decide to wait until Aryll was older, he wanted to be sure his family could fully understand not only what will happen to him but how he felt about it.

When he returned to the gates of the market town dawn was still hours away. As the king passed the Temple of Time he paused with a look of resolution on his face. Link dismounted and headed towards the place that had served as a turning point of his fate in more ways than one.  
He walked through the grand temple down to the very back, past the alter and through the huge doors.  
As a symbol of his relinquishment from the role of a hero in this lifetime Link returned the Master Sword. When he slid it back into the pedestal his heart was filled with a sense of relief and a hint of longing. While on his way out through the temple Link paused to look back at the sword, wondering if this sacred blade would play a part in the fate of the new hero.

Link greeted each day with a deep sense of fulfillment and happiness. He never dwelt upon what was going to happen to him on the day of his passing, death alone was a grim enough thought without the price he had paid being on his mind as well.

Link instead focused on the bright aspect that came with the cost of his choice. The restoration of his inner peace was indeed a grand compromise for the darker aspect of what fate had planned.

The hero watched peacefully as life unfolded before him and watched as his family grew and changed…and it grew in more ways than age.

Link had to wait a bit longer to tell his family what fate had laid out for him.  
He wanted to wait until Aryl was old enough to understand but now there were two more young ones in the family.

Twins, a boy and girl, Ordon and young Zelda, The hero's own children this time around. Zelda was glad to have a chance to follow her family's age old tradition, passing her name on to her first born daughter.  
Young Zelda looked like a small copy of her mother, Ordon however must have been a throwback to an older set of genes for he sported soft brown hair along with his blue eyes.

Link had always hoped to have life bless him with a large family and life had managed to give him just that in the long run.  
Considering they were both halfway through thirty at the time of the twin's birth the royal couple settled at a family of four kids, three of their own alongside one adopted treasure.  
And Link could not be happier with how fate had unfolded.

Chirin over time found himself torn between worlds as things between him and Luda began to grow. In his older teen years the prince adopted his winged form almost permanently so as to be by her side.  
In the end, as he reached his early twenties, Chirin became not a prince of Hyrule but a prince of the Tenshioni, second in line for the throne of the frozen kingdom after Kaepora's middle child. Chirin may never get to be king of a people but he was happy just staying a winged prince alongside his winged princess…and Yubreit sure was happy that Chirin adopted his wings permanently.  
The ice dragon followed him back to the land of snow and seemed relieved to finally live alongside both of the people he considered his master.

The choice saddened Link a little for it meant his son would be so far from home but at the same time he saw the love between them and it made him feel warm and happy to see that his son had found a princess to treasure just as he had.

The gentle king watched Aryll grow into a fine and feisty young lady. When she grew old enough to venture Hyrule as a child she became quite the tenacious adventurer and befriended everyone her own age, especially the youngest of the many ranch kids.  
As a teenager she settled upon a cowboy boyfriend, the youngest son of Malon who stood only a year older than her. Being raised a farm boy around unruly animals he could easily handle and keep up with the strong and adventurous Gerudo girl and the lad took quite a liking to her wild spirit.  
Link had no doubts that in time they would become the most interesting husband and wife Hyrule has ever known.

Aryll's life and teenage relationship outside of the desert valley unintentionally started a new era for the Gerudo as they now started to live amongst the rest of Hyrule versus staying in their desert. The tribe's traditions began to fade as some chose to settle down and have families with a father included. The change resulted in a much more fulfilling existence for the once lonely Gerudo race.

The twins turned out to be the first royal children in two generations to actually grow up and live a normal life free of being kidnapped or hunted down by evil.

Link and Zelda found that Ordon had a natural talent with animals and was fascinated by the rustic simple life of a commoner. He refused to wear anything fancy and was not keen on the rules of palace life.  
Ordon decided he did not want to be a king, he wanted to be an adventurer and find new lands.  
He often spoke of how once he was grown he was going to find a place to start a new village all on his own, Ordon's goal was to someday create a perfect home for those who wanted to live a simplistic life and raise animals.

However they found that young Zelda was more than happy to stay close to home and that she already had quite a knack for dealing with people and solving problems. She was quite the social butterfly and had an endearing personality that people instantly took a liking to.  
Unlike her twin brother she adored fancy clothing and loved everything about the palace, she humbly was very gratefully to be born a princess and she very much wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps.

Link was deeply fond of all his children and dearly treasured this last gift life gave him, the twins proved to be the remaining piece the hero's life needed to make it feel truly complete.  
Their presence in his life softened the blow of empty nest syndrome as Chirin moved on to start a family of his own. And as the twins aged Link saw so much of himself and Zelda in them that he felt as if a part of them would live on forever through their children, and this made him feel very happy.

As time went by and Aryll approached adulthood and the twins just barely reached their teens…Link decided that the day had come to tell his family.

Link sat cross legged in the very center of the large bed, the room was aglow with the clean light of morning as it came in through the sheer white curtains. This location had been a place of recovery many times after he was dealt many wounds and it was here that he chose to bring this fate to light for his family. This spot would become a place of healing once again as he put their woes to rest.

As he broke the news the king's four children and his queen somberly gathered round him, each sat leaning against their dear hero with Navi nestled in his hair.

Link smiled as his hands went out to comfort them.

"We cannot dwell on the cost of the choice I have made.  
I only chose to tell you this because it is a secret I cannot bare to take with me to my grave…and I know you all can come to peace with this just as I have.

I do not know what lies in wait for us after life in this world, and I know that while others find out I will be left behind…But life in this world is a gift only given once and it exists in the here and now. Let us not allow what lies behind or ahead of us to darken the precious time we have together in this world."

Link looked to his heartbroken princess.

"Zelda."  
he said taking her hands within his, the hero's warm gentle gaze meeting her sad blue eyes.  
"The cost of what I have done was worth it. That day when I became the sacred beast, peace was restored to my life both inside and out… and fate allowed me to keep you…all of you." He said looking to each of his children and laying a hand on Chirin's shoulder acknowledging just how close he came to loosing his child on the day he was dealt this fate.

"I may have to wait far longer than anyone else for my soul to come to rest but I am deeply at peace with what fate has given me."

The queen held the hands of her king and looked to him with a sad smile, eyes filled with tears of both loss and happiness.  
Link's grin grew faintly smaller as his own expression faded from that of firm serenity to a mix of joy and grief. Zelda reached up to the side of his face to brush away the sadness her reaction had brought to her hero.

The touch of her hand tugged at Link's heart and filled it with a deep sense of warmth. He brought Zelda close into a loving embrace and she firmly held him in return.

With the closeness of their hearts the cursed hero's expression became that of a warm and acceptant smile.

Right here, in this moment of time, Link was truly happy…and moments like this are well worth the cost he had paid.

Link continued his life with no regrets, he lived knowing that the love of his family and the joys of his life would remain within his soul forever and always.

These memories would ease the time of hardship he would have to face alone awaiting a time when history would repeat itself and a new hero would be chosen by the goddesses…

Awaiting his chance to pass on the essence of the Hero of Time to another as a means of saving the world one last time.


	31. Author's Thoughts

This is a follow up to my fan fiction The Winged Ones

First off I would like to say that in my mind the end of this story and the start of TP have several generations between them/hundreds of years between them. Just comparing the land of OoT and TP makes me say this because while the two lands are smiliar it sure did change a lot.

**Where did the Tenshioni go?** As we well know they are awfully finicky about where they live, and if the land of TP is supposed to be the land of OoT then there has to have been one hell of a seismic shift to change the land that much and it could have caused the Tenshioni to suffer in return. However I can say that the Snowpeak Ruins is the perfect TP equivalent for the above ground Wind Temple/Kaepora's home.  
…Where Yetto and Yeta would have come from is up to you…

I also hate to even say this but one could say the Tenshioni's sense of magic eventually became super powerful and lead them to evolve past the need for human bodies and past their dependence on cold and they became the Oocca but…ehhh O_o ummm dunno if I like that XD  
But it does work, they have blue and red marks on their heads and feathers but damn are they funky looking.

**The shape shifters sound nothing like Twili:** By the time we reach the TP timeline the shape shifters have somehow become Twili, they either have settled on this form and it became permanent or they evolved into this. Either way this may seem like a stretch but Nintendo pulled one of their own with WW and having the Zora evolve into Rito (fish people became bird people in a world covered by ocean….um okay…)  
Zant said "In the shadows we regressed so much that soon we knew neither anger nor hatred...nor even the faintest bloom of desire." know he means regressed emotionally but they could have regressed physically according to my story, loosing their shape shifting ability and taking on the forms they have.  
The Twili are not the same as the shape shifters once were, they have become neutral VS evil but their world must still remain separate because now the realm of shadow balances the world of light and they cannot mix, hence the actions at the end of TP

**How Dragmire would fit into TP:** Ganon of TP is Dragmire, yeah I know "Wut?" but hear me out.

Koume and Kotake were helpless to get Ganon in OoT back because he was sealed in the empty sacred realm, they were able to get Dragmire back at some point because they can travel to the twilight realm. But when they retrieved him they found he was unable to recover from the attack or change back from his dark beast form. He was a spiteful broken being that cursed everything living but was unable to do anything beyond the basics needed for living let alone cause chaos.

Since they had failed twice at using a dark interloper to unleash the rest they created the mirror of twilight, which we find in the TP equivalent of the Spirit Temple in the Gerudo desert. But granting their unique power to it to make the mirror work did more than just shorten their lives like it did to bring Ganon and his son through, it ended them. At this point the defeated Dragmire no longer cared about ruling the world, he hardly even cared about living so it never got used.

How the damned strange looking sages ended up to be what they are and how they learned to use the mirror is up to you. All I can say is the sages being what they are in TP was a way to keep sages in place at all times vs. how it worked in TP, somehow eternal beings were set in place, maybe the light guardians did it somehow.

Now Dragmire's return in his broken beast form could have easily happened at least 50-100 years after my story since in OoT the twin witches are supposed to be 400 years old and I mentioned time moved differently in the dark realm.  
Also In TP it sounds like events with Ganon happened quite some time before the game, who knows how long, but to me it sounds like it happened well before the Link and Zelda of TP were even born, and if the Ganon of TP was trapped between worlds (which it sounds like he was, with the cut scene where we see Zant meet Ganon he meets a flaming form of Ganon) then who knows how long he could last in such a state, he could remain that way for all eternity would be my guess.

Some time between this story and TP Dragmire would have been granted the Triforce of power.  
The reasoning would be because at Chirin's eventual passing the three pieces would part to whoever best deserved to have them, and then with their passing each piece would move on to the next person who best suit's power/wisdom/courage, this explains how the Link and Zelda of TP had their parts.

Dragmire could have either been granted it right after Chirin or from a later holder of power, it all depends on how much time there was between when Ganon in TP was "executed" and the events of the game (I cannot seem to get a confirmation on if Ganon laid low for a while or found Zant right away)

Now in my story I said that when the first holder of the Triforce died it was returned to the sacred realm BUT since it was touched and broken before Chirin held it the pieces now seek out those who best deserve them.

When the piece of power found Dragmire it restored him to what Ganon was, a dark interloper without wings. In honor of the fact his father last held it, that the Triforce piece restored him one form to transform into (Gerudo) and that fact that his goal was always the same as his father's he took on his sire's name.

_

**How the gold wolf fits:** I honestly made this connection on my own and was miffed to find others figured it out as well. But this is a theory you can read about here vs. me explain .com/wiki/Hero%27s_Shade

**How does Wolf Link fit?:** Midna says "in our world we long believed that our hero would appear as a divine beast." May sound odd since it was a divine beast that sealed away the dark interlopers but in a sense that "saved" them for being separate from Hyrule is how they mellowed out/became not evil and settled on the form of Twili. It could also be a new prophecy of their people or even an ironic mix up of past events and their captor got reinterpreted as their savior somewhere along the way.  
One could also say that Dragmire/Ganon is still an original dark interloper whereas the Twili have gone past that and so Link as the sacred beast still has a duty to defeat him.

Also Link in this game is not beast of light like Link was in our story, in TP he only carries the essence of the beast form whereas the old Link holds the true form.

**Inconsistent lands in TP:** The only 2 places in TP that do not match the OoT layout are Snowpeak and Ordon, I managed to explain both in this. Snowpeak is the home of the Tenshioni, Ordon is the land Link's son will discover and turn into his humble place to live and raise animals (Ordon village does focus on the goats).

**The twins:** I added the twins in last minute because it does fulfill Link's wish for a large family, it also satisfies those who like the lineage vs. reincarnation explanation for the TP Link and Zelda. It may put a damper on a TP Zelink pairing BUT in my head the events of TP happen several generations after my story, enough to take the squick out of that (also frankly in TP Illia is the more logical option than Zelda for a pairing…not that I am a huge fan of that pairing it just does make more sense…)

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**Impaz :** She was one of the "that's a far stretch" things for me in TP, a Sheikah lasting this long when Impa was the last? Well according to my story she would be a descendent of Keaton who came to Hyrule to meet Impa a learn more about the red eyed people and he stayed in Hyrule and had a family of his own.

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**No Gerudo in TP:** Illia and others have rounded ears, but in OoT only Gerudos did. Remember what I said about the gene being dominant and the results always looking Gerudo and being female? By the time we reach TP that gene had broken down creating a blend and the round ears is the only gene that survived. My mentioning of the Gerudo starting to live outside their desert and having families with fathers included explains why no one lives in the desert in TP.

I need to double check this but I ordon in TP has the highest concentration of round ears. This could be explained by Aryll settling down in the land her younger brother founded (her husband being raised a farm boy would like a simple life raising animals) and the Gerudo's likley could have followed her actions. And so Ordon village grew from this founding generation of Hylian-Gerudo families.

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If you have further questions or if you see inconsistencies feel free to ask.


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